By Alee Gonzalez

Reporter

College students balance schoolwork, jobs, extracurricular activities, a social life, and fitness. As a result, sleep gets put on the back burner. This demanding time in a student’s life requires prioritizing obligations, and for most students, sleep is not a priority. This seems like a trivial fact because it is so common for students to function without sleep. With caffeine and energy drinks students are able to keep abreast of their responsibilities but not without detrimental effects. An expert advises a word of caution to students who don’t realize how negatively they are affected when they don’t receive enough sleep.

“Sleep is a restoration period,” explains Dr. Christopher Gambrioli in the Student Health Center.

Without an adequate amount of rest, cardiovascular problems, negative mental effects, mood swings, high blood pressure and anxiety result. Dr. Gambrioli highlights how valuable sleep is by introducing a rare disorder that prevents individuals from sleeping at all. This disorder affects a small percentage of the population where sleep is completely unattainable. The individual is given just a couple of months before the effects of not sleeping become fatal. Dr. Gambrioli is aware that this is a severe case of sleep deprivation, but it outlines just how valuable sleep is to the human body.

He knows that students are unaware of the seriousness of not sleeping because it is so common, but he advises students to allow themselves enough time to sleep. Enough time may range between 6-10 hours, depending on the individual. He understands that with work and school it may be difficult to fit enough time, but that it is important to try. If need be, take a nap in the day no longer than 30 minutes because anything longer messes up the circadian clock.

In the article, “How Sleep Deprivation Affects Psychological Variables Related to College Students’ Cognitive Performance,” PhD June J. Pilcher and MD Amy S. Walters analyze a study that was conducted to test brain performance. In the study, the students that were sleep deprived tested worse in the cognitive task than the students that were well rested. What was interesting in the study, however, is that after the students were tested they answered a questionnaire assessing their own performance levels, and the students that were sleep deprived assessed themselves as more alert and motivated than the students that were well rested. This is a great way to illustrate the invincibility that sleep deprived students feel when they manage through their days.

Eula Dayanghirang is a perfect example of a student experiencing lack of sleep.

“On average, I’m finding myself only getting about 4-5 hours of sleep a night,” explains Dayanghirang.

She is involved in CNSA which is the California Nurses Students Assocation. This group requires 24 hours of community service a quarter, on top of the 30 hours a week that Eula works between her two jobs. She is also involved in Community Preventative Health Collaborative, a club that also requires 24 hours of community service a quarter. Lack of sleep makes Eula feel inadequate. She feels as if she can’t function the best that she is capable of and she gets short-tempered.

“When I have a good nights rest, it feels like I’m in a better mood and I’m able to do a better job, both at work and school,” she said.

There doesn’t seem to be a clear solution as to how Eula can attain more sleep, but she understands the negative effects of not sleeping enough and makes efforts to ensure she gets enough rest. Ultimately, reminding herself that this strenuous time in her life is temporary is what gets Eula through her day.

“Mostly, what keeps me going is knowing that all this hard work will pay off one day.”

Other students have similar testimonies to her.

“I sleep less in order to handle business,” Michael Nieto explains.

He is a criminal justice major that also works two jobs. He is involved in a fraternity that requires community service on top of the 48-hour work week that he experiences. He gets through his days by taking frequent naps at 30-minute intervals. He aims for four hours of sleep per night, which doesn’t sound like much, but it is necessary for him to prioritize his other obligations.

Lack of sleep is so common amongst students that it goes unrecognized as something of importance. Getting a couple of hours a sleep a night should be taken with earnestness, but so many students relate that it is actually taken with unimportance.