Sleep Deprivation Can Harm More Than Students’ Grades
Posted by casey on 10-21-2008
I have a friend that averages four-and-a-half hours of sleep week after week. To fit in homework, studying, working and participating in extracurriculars, shut-eye is the first thing to go. Her dependence on caffeine – 32 oz. diet cokes, quadruple-shot lattes – is the only thing that keeps her going. The Boston Globe published an interesting piece about the never ending cycle of staying up late to accomplish must-dos, skipping out on sleep, and eventually sacrificing health.
“For college students, sleep is the most dispensable thing,” said Dr. Vanessa Britto, director of health services at Wellesley. “Most people feel it’s a badge of honor. ‘I didn’t sleep.’ Parentheses, ‘Aren’t I great?’ Until you point out to them that pulling an all-nighter is the equivalent of driving drunk and is detrimental to their reaction time and memory.”
When students skip out on sleep, they believe they’re accomplishing more and improving their productivity, though the opposite is usually true. I see it at every exam – students slink into class in the same clothes they were wearing the previous day and tell everyone who looks in their direction that they pulled an all-nighter. Obviously those kids haven’t seen the study that says those who don’t study all night long have slightly higher grades than those who do. Or the studies that say you can retain more information before midnight.
Sleep is a huge issue on college campuses, and I think much of it is self-induced. Students have to make sleep a priority, just like they do for studying and going to class and, well, partying. More sleep can equal better concentration, clearer understanding, and increased energy. But what do I know? I’m just a sleep-deprived college kid on my forth cup of coffee today.
Related news:
University of Minnesota performed a recent on-campus study that revealed that students with bad habits – including those who didn’t exercise, lacked sleep, watched too much TV, gambled, drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes – had noticeably lower grades than their good habit-practicing classmates.
Categorized under: Education