SLEEPING IN COLLEGE
The Impossible Dream?
These 29 surprising college student sleep statistics will show why more than 50% of university students suffer from sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness.
These 29 surprising college student sleep statistics will show why more than 50% of university students suffer from sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness.
Historically, adults have not been super great at making sure we are getting adequate rest. We work too much and binge-watch too often in what little downtime we have. Entire industries have been built around the premise of helping people get some much-needed rest.
But while us grownups were so busy worrying about our own sleepless nights, an unseen boogie man was crawling out from under our beds. Step onto any college campus today and you will be sure to come face-to-face with a victim of the sweeping sleep deprivation epidemic affecting our college students.
In a self-reported University of Arizona study, 23% of athletes reported experiencing fatigue at excessive levels.
A study conducted at Brown University concluded female students suffered from insomnia more often than male students. 30% of female respondents reported experiencing insomnia within the past 3 months, compared to 18% of the male respondents.
Student-athletes frequently experience hallucinations and sleep paralysis because their busy schedules often affect their quality of sleep.
Studies show sleep loss can hurt academic performance just as much as binge-drinking or drug use.
Proteins called cytokines are produced less often when people are sleep deprived. Antibodies and cells that fight off infection are also produced in lower numbers. This means tired people are more likely to get sick!
Freshmen are more likely to suffer bad grades due to poor sleep and are 14% more likely to drop a class for every day of missed sleep.
Your major plays a factor in how much sleep you get.
Medical majors get the least quality sleep.
1 in 4 University of Georgia students says sleep loss hurts their academic performance, causing lower grades, missing classwork, or skipped classes.
Sleep deprivation can cause all kinds of negative side effects like weight gain, a higher body mass index, and more body fat. Some people also lose the ability to tolerate larger amounts of exercise and experience cravings for unhealthy foods.
Students complaining about boring professors have a point! Lectures cause failing grades to increase by 55% as compared to a more engaging learning environment. Kids just fall asleep in class!
[11] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
[12] The Washington Post
Cellphones cause FOMO or the Fear Of Missing Out. Students sleep with their phones under their pillows to avoid missing important calls or texts. They wake up every time the phone goes off and respond while half awake and barely coherent.
Classes start too early! The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend classes begin no earlier than 8:30 AM.
Irregular sleep patterns – waking up and going to bed at random times – can have the same effects as not getting enough sleep.
Stress is a key factor in poor sleep quality and some researchers think it affects students more than caffeine or alcohol consumption.
Adolescents and young adults have delayed circadian rhythm preferences, making them literal night owls!
30-50% of college students take naps but then end up staying awake longer at night, ultimately sleeping less overall.
People who take Adderall to aid cram sessions often experience insomnia and hypervigilance, creating an endless cycle of sleeplessness.
Penn Med’s sleep specialists educate kids on healthy sleep habits just in time for exam season.
Recommendations include napping less or earlier in the day, cutting back on caffeine, and exercising to stay alert.
Harvard students can take a sleep class to learn better sleep hygiene and habits.
Baylor University offered students extra credit points for succeeding in “The 8-hour Challenge”. More sleep, better grades, win-win.
Cuesta College is advocating a bill that would allow homeless students to safely sleep in their cars in the school parking lot.
Goucher College allowed students living in dorms with no air conditioning to sleep on cots in the campus library.
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There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to better health and better rest, but no one has time to sleep, let alone figure out how to upgrade the sleep they’re getting.
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