Opinion: College Students vs Sleep
College students sacrifice their sleep schedule to study, practice, or doom scroll. How does this affect them?
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the recommended amount of sleep an average person should get is seven to nine hours of sleep. Apply that number to the average college student. You can bet that a day-to-day college student is not getting that recommended amount of sleep, but why?
College can be stressful whether it's studying, classes, grades, sports, or social life in general. The question is though, why do students have a hard time sleeping at night and how does it affect them?
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One big factor for students staying up late may be due to late night work. Whether that may be doing a last minute assignment, studying for a quiz or exam, or making multiple deadlines for classes. Now, it's no surprise that everyone procrastinates getting an assignment done or studying for a quiz or test.
The problem is that students spend most of their free time after classes or work doing other things. Leading to them doing that last minute assignment into the evening. Next thing they know they're up until 1am finishing that assignment when they could have done it earlier.
This can lead to many problems for the students the following day. They can suffer from sleep deprivation, leading to many health conditions, mood changes, and an increase in anxiety. Students could also fall victim to sleeping during class and taking naps during the day.
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The college environment itself could play a big role in how students sleep. For students who live in residence halls, it all depends on neighbors and roommates. Living away from home can be a big step for anyone, however the real test comes with a college roommate. They have different habits, sleep schedules, classes than the other person.
The last thing a student needs is a noisy roommate, a loud neighbor, unwanted guests, or loud hallways. Campus events also play a role in this. From social activities, getting together with friends, and late night parties, it can be overwhelming for someone. These kinds of events encourage the average person to disregard assignments or studying to go hangout with friends for a while, letting the night take them and their sleep.
Dean student Milo Dean said, “I don’t think we should have classes so early so many people at Dean including myself have messed up and inconsistent sleep schedules and it makes everyone more exhausted and stressed to make it on time."
For college students, getting enough sleep can be difficult. Choosing between a hangout with friends or studying is a difficult choice for some, while others say they'll do it later. It can be hard when there are always other responsibilities competing for one's attention. Assignments, exams, social activities, and the college environment can all contribute to a student staying up.
Even when students know that getting enough sleep is important, maintaining that schedule can be challenging. One late night study or hangout can become a habit, especially when students have to balance school with the rest of their lives. Ultimately, finding a healthy balance between college responsibilities and sleep can help students make the most of their time, inside and outside the classroom.
