Sleeping-Deprivation for College Students - Research Paper Example

of the English of the Concerned 18 April Sleeping-deprivation for College Sleep Deprivation Statistics College days are the times marred by very polarized individual aspirations. On the one side it is the time to work hard so as to be able to get into a propitious career settlement, while on the other side it marks the last few years when a college student could have fun to the limit of one’s satiation potential. Academic stress and recreational activities keep a large number of college students awake at night, resulting in sleep deprivation. As per some conservative studies, nearly 68 percent of the college students admitted to being awake late at night (Medical News Today 1). As per the same study, almost 20 percent of the college students admitted to remaining awake at night, at least once a week (Medical News Today 1). It was also reported that more than 60 percent of the college students do tend to have disturbed awake-sleep cycles, and some of the college students resort to alcohol and substance abuse to combat the fatigue and stress caused by sleep deprivation (Medical News Today 1). Though the average sleep requirement for the young adults stands to be eight hours, it is merely thirty percent of the college students that manage to muster 8 hours of quality sleep at night (Medical News Today 1). When it comes to weeknights, 20 percent of the college students remain awake all night, at least once a month, while almost 35 percent of the college students tend to remain awake till 3:00am in the morning (Medical News Today 1). Surprisingly, it was observed in some studies that Asian and African American students tend to suffer less from poor sleep habits as compared to the Latino and White college students (Medical News Today 1). Considering their young age, many a times, college students tend to underestimate the relevance and importance of sleep in their academic and personal life. Students have been noted to compromise sleep during high stress periods without understanding that by doing so they tend to sabotage their physical and mental health. So, considering the available data, there is no denying the fact that the college students tend to be the most sleep deprived pool in the regular population. Importance of Proper Sleep in a College Student’s Life Sleep deprivation not only impacts a college student’s ability to remain awake in the class, but also has a direct impact on a college student’s academic performance. Sufficient and adequate sleep is vital for a college student who intends to remain alert and awake (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). Adequate sleep helps a college student to retain and maintain a good health and to indulge in peak academic performance. Just sleeping 6 hours a night for a period of two weeks makes a college student feel as lousy and stressed as a person who has not slept for complete 48 hours at a stretch (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). Adequate sleep also plays an important role in academic learning and cognitive memory. As per the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the students who solicited an adequate amount of sleep performed much better on motor and memory tests as compared to the students who happened to be sleep deprived (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). Though the amount of sleep required by every individual tends to vary from person to person, eventually it is the ability to maintain adequate day time alertness that is the sole arbitrator as to how much a college student needs to sleep. So, if a college student happens to be tired during the day time on a routine basis and does not feel sufficiently alert, chances are that such a young individual happens to be sleeping deprived (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). There is enough data available to prove that sleep deprivation in young adults leads to memory impairment and poor learning and results in compromised academic attention and a poor memory (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). Students who are sleep deprived are more prone to get poor grades and perform lousy in mathematics, languages and reading (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). Besides, college students who are sleep deprived happen to have more health related problems as compared to the ones who manage to get adequate amounts of sleep (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). Many college students believe that staying up late at night on week days while compensating for the lost sleep by sleeping on the weekends helps them register a strong academic performance. However, the scientific data tends to bust this belief. As per the medical experts, such sleep practices eventually lead to a poor academic performance. This is because by oversleeping on weekends, college students tend to engage in sleep practices that are contrary to their body clock (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1). So, it goes without sayings that sleep deprivation is not only harmful to academic performance, but is rather a factor that is detrimental to the cause of academic excellence and personal well being. In that context, it will be really informative to elaborate in detail on the debilitating consequences of sleep deprivation on the college students. Health Consequences of Sleep deprivation Going by the fact that sleep deprivation is getting ubiquitous amongst the college students, it is insightful to delve on the health impact of sleep deprivation. Because the college students are so hard pressed on the academic front, there is an above normal temptation to indulge in fun activities by cutting on the sleep. With the passage of time, taxing on sleep becomes a habit that pervades the entire academic tenure of college students. Sleep deprivation has a negative influence on the health of college students often marked by headaches and hand tremors (Kushida 31). Sleep deprivation has been known to be closely associated with high blood pressure, poor motor capabilities and body aches (Kushida 15). Sleep deprivation in college students also has a drastic impact on the immune system of college students thereby making them more vulnerable to avoidable illnesses (Kushida 15). Sleep deprivation directly impacts the moods of the young adults, making them more irritable and frustrated, thereby severely compromising their social coping skills (Kushida 15). Memory loss and lapses and unexplainable weight loss are also closely related to sleep deprivation (Kushida 15). In extreme cases sleep deprivation may lead to substance abuse and varied forms of psychosis (Kushida 15). Young people may claim that partying hard and working hard has no impact on their performance owing to their being energetic and vivacious. However, a closer examination of their activities testifies to the fact that their actions tend to be erratic and illogical. It goes without saying that a sound mental and physical health is pivotal for optimal academic performance, and sleep deprivation is a factor that goes totally contrary to the needs of a sound physical and mental health. It is high time that young people ought to be taught the relevance and importance of adequate sleep in their personal and academic life, thereby making them desist from unhealthy and undisciplined sleeping habits. Sleep Deprivation and Academic Performance Students who cut on sleep to study hard or do so to engage in fun and recreation, perhaps do not fully understand the impact of sleep deprivation on their academic performance. Many students who believe that sleeping less boosts their academic performance and resort actively to coffee and other caffeine based stimulants, do not understand that human body and mind have their limits and if pushed beyond an optimal limit, they may snap and give up. Sleep deprivation directly influences the decision making capacity of college students, especially more so at a time when their decision making abilities are expected to be at their best (Buboltz, Jenkins & Soper 114). When a young adult is sleep deprived on a long term basis, it directly infringes on one’s ability to make logical, alert and well informed decisions. As, sleep deprivation impacts the rational decision making abilities of the human brain, students vulnerable to sleep deprivation more than often get carried away by their emotions (Buboltz, Jenkins & Soper 115). Sleep deprivation also curtails the planning capacities of college students (Buboltz, Jenkins & Soper 115). One could well expect this, going by the fact that sleep deprivation dilutes the logical and rationalizing powers of human brain. Amongst all adults, it is the college students who require the best of their memory, considering their academic responsibilities. However, when a young adult is sleep deprived, one’s planning abilities are next to zero. One simply cannot realistically expect to engage in a hard work during the day time and go on without sleep at night, without suffering from some sort of side effects. The one really bad thing about sleep deprivation is that it has a spillover effect on other aspects of a student’s life, are they nutrition or exercise. Nothing could aid and strengthen a college student’s academic performance more than a capacity to be religiously disciplined about one’s sleep habits. Avoiding Sleep Deprivation The good thing about sleep deprivation is that retaining good sleeping habits is an aspect of life that to a great extent is in the hands of the college students. All-nighter is something that has become ubiquitous amongst the college students. College students tend to spend sleepless nights, either studying or socializing. As it has become evident by now that sleep deprivation impairs the physical and mental health and drastically impacts academic performance, so college students should make it a point to dedicatedly avoid all nighters. Although, college students tend to envisage sleep as a static activity, actually speaking, sleep happens to be a dynamic biological process during which body carries on many vital activities that are imperative to mental and physical sustenance (Carskadon 108). Adequate sleep is bound to have a salubrious impact on the health of college students, thereby helping them have optimal immunity, memory and alertness. Besides, college students need to pursue a more proactive approach towards retaining healthy sleeping habits. They need to make it a point to avail adequate sleep. Being, away from home with no guardians to take care of or manage their sleep preferences, it is eventually left to the college students to take complete charge and control of their sleep (Carskadon 6). Often, a sense of freedom accompanying the college years, there is always a great temptation to skip night time sleep. Hence, chalking out a strict sleeping schedule is something that is solely left to the free will of college students. It is an activity that helps the college students retains a complete control over their academic and personal life. If things get problematic, the students could always experiment with things like soft pillows and mattresses, white noise, bed time snacks, etc, or could consult a medical specialist. Conclusion Sleep deprivation is something that is rampant amongst most of the college students. Sleep deprivation has the potential to hamper the physical, mental and academic life of college students. However, college students could avoid sleep deprivation by taking charge of their sleep habits and by seeking the right medical and psychological assistance. Works Cited Buboltz, Walter Jr., Jenkins, Steve M & Soper, Barlow. “Sleep Habits and Patterns of College Students: An Expanded Study”. Journal of College Counseling 12.2 (2009): 113-120. Carskadon, Mary A. Adolescent Sleep Patterns. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2002) “College Students: Getting Enough Sleep is Vital to Academic Success”. American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2007. 18 April 2009 . Kushida, Clete A. Sleep Deprivation. New York: Marcel Dekker, 2005. “Significant Sleep Deprivation and Stress amongst College Students, USA”. Medical News Today 2009. 18 April 2012 . Read More