How much sleep are you getting?
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The National Sleep Foundation conducted a study in order to understand the poor sleep quality of college students. This study revealed that college students experience chronic restricted sleep. Twenty-five percent of students of students reported getting 6.5 hours of sleep a night, while only 29.4% of students reported getting less than 6 hours of sleep. Sleep was especially lacking on the weekends.
According to a study conducted among college freshman at James Madison University, a lack of sleep was found to have the strongest correlations to high stress levels. This study showed that 77% of students who experienced higher levels of stress got fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night. On the other hand, 61% of students who got more than 7 hours of sleep reported feeling less stressed. This study also showed that high levels of stress can also be correlated to low levels of general relaxation time. Students reported obtaining fewer than 30 minutes of relaxation or personal time per day.
As seen from the studies conducted above college students are not getting enough sleep at night. This lack of sleep can send stress hormones soaring (Woolston). According to the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, people who suffer from a lack of sleep have an increase in stress levels throughout the day compared to the decrease in stress hormones in those who sleep get enough sleep during the night. This study also showed that levels of stress for those who had a lack of sleep were highest from afternoon early night, when most people wind down. In contrast, getting a good nights sleep blocks this chain reaction because the chemical that brings deep sleep also reduces the products of ACTH, and the adrenal gland never gets the signal to pump out the stress hormone (Woolston).
When stress hormones are increased it enables the storage of short-term memories causing difficulty in holding one's thoughts. This is why college students who are sleep deprived cannot hold on to thoughts when they cram all night for a test. Seug-Schik Yoo, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, conducted a study which found that the lack of sleep can make the brain behave as if an extreme danger was present. This reaction causes the body to initiate a defense mechanism and causes psychological stress. This causes nausea, heart palpitations, and anxiety.
It is important as college students to get a good night's sleep because of all the benefits that sleep brings. One can see that a lack of sleep can not only bring about stress, but also many health problems as well. Always think twice before you pull that all niter!
According to a study conducted among college freshman at James Madison University, a lack of sleep was found to have the strongest correlations to high stress levels. This study showed that 77% of students who experienced higher levels of stress got fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night. On the other hand, 61% of students who got more than 7 hours of sleep reported feeling less stressed. This study also showed that high levels of stress can also be correlated to low levels of general relaxation time. Students reported obtaining fewer than 30 minutes of relaxation or personal time per day.
As seen from the studies conducted above college students are not getting enough sleep at night. This lack of sleep can send stress hormones soaring (Woolston). According to the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, people who suffer from a lack of sleep have an increase in stress levels throughout the day compared to the decrease in stress hormones in those who sleep get enough sleep during the night. This study also showed that levels of stress for those who had a lack of sleep were highest from afternoon early night, when most people wind down. In contrast, getting a good nights sleep blocks this chain reaction because the chemical that brings deep sleep also reduces the products of ACTH, and the adrenal gland never gets the signal to pump out the stress hormone (Woolston).
When stress hormones are increased it enables the storage of short-term memories causing difficulty in holding one's thoughts. This is why college students who are sleep deprived cannot hold on to thoughts when they cram all night for a test. Seug-Schik Yoo, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, conducted a study which found that the lack of sleep can make the brain behave as if an extreme danger was present. This reaction causes the body to initiate a defense mechanism and causes psychological stress. This causes nausea, heart palpitations, and anxiety.
It is important as college students to get a good night's sleep because of all the benefits that sleep brings. One can see that a lack of sleep can not only bring about stress, but also many health problems as well. Always think twice before you pull that all niter!