Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor
“I maybe get five hours a night,” commented first-year pre-nursing major Stephanie Oseguera. “I feel really good in the mornings and then I just crash.”
This problem amongst students at Western is all too prevalent. With seemingly never-ending to-do lists and countless responsibilities, sleep can often fall to the back burner. Priorities are made and, for many, getting to bed on time isn’t one of them. Making this a part of your routine is far more than a nasty habit; it’s detrimental to your health.
Short-term sleep deprivation has many negative consequences: drowsiness, forgetfulness, high anxiety, high irritability and decreased awareness are among the few. Regularly having nights of poor sleep, though, will do far more than the simple next day irritability.
Without proper sleep, you’re putting yourself at risk for problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. It’s not just a want — getting a full night’s sleep is essential to living a full and healthy life.
According to a study done at Stanford University, the average sleep requirement for college students is well over eight hours. So, if you have an 8 a.m. class, and want to get up at least an hour before — which will also help you feel more awake and energized during class — you’ll want to be asleep by 11 p.m.
While getting to bed on time is definitely a good start, you’ll want to make sure that you’re actually getting a full night’s rest, rather than being fitful and never actually getting deep sleep. In order to do this, there are some simple steps to follow.
Do not drink caffeinated beverages four to six hours before you head to bed: no late night lattes, energy drinks, soda or even drinks such as green tea. Simply enjoy those well before bedtime.
Next — and this one is often the hardest for many — create a sleep schedule and stick to it. Unfortunately, this also includes your weekends. While it may be tempting to stay up until 3 a.m. when you know you have no responsibilities the next morning, you’re setting yourself up for failure when Monday morning rolls around. Do yourself a favor, and attempt to stick to a similar schedule everyday.
Put away all your electronic devices 30 minutes before bed; Instagram will still be there in the morning, you can check it after sending your Snapchat streaks when you get up the next day. It can wait. Dedicate those 30 minutes in bed before sleeping to unwind, relax and let your mind shut-off.
In the end, we are still human beings. Sometimes, those late night homework sessions are unavoidable. The best thing you can do to deal with sleep deprivation the next day is to make sure to stay fueled up and hydrated. Give yourself some breaks during the day. If possible, take a very brief nap. Make sure you aren’t napping too long though, or you’ll be stuck in the same cycle tomorrow.
Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu
