Sleep: for college students, it’s more well-known as the eight hours we never get. Sleep deprivation is a large problem at many universities and colleges around the world. College students are often sleep deprived for several reasons, whether it is from working on a late night project, pulling an all-nighter to finish that 10 page paper, or just hanging out at night with friends. College students barely get the right amount of sleep to keep them going.
According to Brown University Health Education, in 2001, only 11 percent of college students had good sleep quality, and 73 percent had occasional sleep problems. Sleep deprivation may cause you to doze off during your morning class, have a lack of focus and increase the chances of irritability, moodiness, depression, stress, and a lack of concentration and physical responsiveness. According to WebMD, sleep deprivation may also increase the risks of heart problems and stroke.
Therefore, it is important that college students try their best to get those eight important hours of sleep. Here are a few tips on how to catch those Zzz’s every night:
Keep a Calendar, Planner or a To-Do List
You might be wondering how a calendar or a study planner will help you get some sleep. It’s all about time management and planning ahead. The more you practice great time management and scheduling skills, the more you can get done and the more sleep you can get at night. Keeping a great schedule will help you finish things earlier. This means you can sleep knowing that you do not have to worry about waking up early to do an assignment.
Know When It Is Time for Bed
The average person needs about eight hours of sleep to function properly. Knowing when it is time to go to bed is important. Be sure to factor in the time of your class the next day as well as any prep time you may need before class. Try to develop a healthy sleeping pattern.
Don’t Take a Long Nap
Short naps may be ideal to refresh and re-energize yourself, but long naps can push back your regular sleep schedule. When you nap for too long, you will have too much energy to be able to go to sleep on time.
Stay Away from Those All-nighters
Students often cite homework as one of the major factors contributing to a lack of sleep. Try to be more efficient in following your schedule to make sure your assignments get done so you can go to bed. Start and plan your projects and assignments ahead of time so you are not struggling to cross the finish line the night before.
Getting out of a bad sleeping habit and into a good one is not an easy task. Adapting to a new habit of sleeping early is a challenge, but it is not impossible. It is all about getting used to choosing efficiency over procrastination, or a glass of milk over your fifth cup of coffee.
—
jsapida1@ramapo.edu
