Going to college is something that can be mentally taxing to many students. Course load, due dates, and studying are only the tip of the iceberg. Due to the commitments of college students being numerous, they can lose sleep over completing or contemplating late at night what is required of them.

Common Reasons for Sleep Deprivation in College Students

More specifically, “Many college students are sleep deprived because they go to sleep late and wake up for classes or employment before adequate sleep is obtained.” (Hershner et.al, 2013). This is shown as when college students have different responsibilities, they are bound to stay up and lose sleep because of them. Since college is also known to constitute more in-depth learning, the time that students have to spend studying automatically increases. After all that studying, there are still assignments for the student to complete which takes even more time away from sleep.

The Negative Effects of Sleep Deprivation on College Students

When one has the time in which they spend sleeping taken away from them, there are bound to be consequences. Sleep is something that every organism needs to survive, especially humans. Due to this, a person cannot function properly if sleep is lost. Diving deeper, if someone does not have the right amount of sleep each night, it can lead to many health problems such as, “increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems.” (Lilienfeld et.al, 2022). This becomes very concerning as most of these medical issues are usually seen in people of older age. If college students, people who are most likely just entering adult hood, are becoming more likely to be susceptible to these diseases due to sleep deprivation, this could mean their futures are at stake. Usually, students go to college to obtain a degree that will aid them in some aspect of their future. Thus, college students being susceptible to life changing diseases just because they are more likely to lose sleep should mean that something should change.

Solutions to Sleep Deprivation in College

Since the consequences of students losing sleep is worrying, a solution is necessary. Something that could help might be setting a schedule for the amount of time the student will study. If they can get their work done and sleep for the proper amount of time, most of the consequences of sleep deprivation can be avoided. Another solution to this problem could be to “establish a ‘wind-down routine prior to bedtime.” (Harvard Summer School, 2021). If students are spending time studying late into the night, even if they are tired, they might not be able to fall asleep properly. Due to this, having some down time before falling asleep could be helpful in preparing them to rest.

All in all, sleep is something that is necessary for all human beings and finding solutions to the problem of sleep deprivation is crucial. Due to heavy workloads, non-school related commitments, and other things, college students are susceptible to loss of sleep which leads to health problems. Thus, finding solutions for these (mostly) young adults with sleeping problems should be encouraged.

References

Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014). Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students. Nature and science of sleep, 6, 73–84. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S62907

Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., & Namy, L. L. (2022). Psychology: From inquiry to understanding (5th ed.). Pearson.

Harvard Summer School. (2021, May 28). Why you should make a good night’s sleep a priority. Harvard Summer School. https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/why-you-should-make-a-good-nights-sleep-a-priority/