Sleep is not a Luxury but a Necessity

By Ericka Lemus

Recent on-campus poll proves many students sleep less than six hours a night.

In an in-person in-formal poll conducted on April 18 at College of Southern Nevada’s Cheyenne campus, 50 students were asked how many hours on average they slept a night.

The poll revealed that most students don’t get enough sleep: 56 percent get four-to-six hours a night, 42 percent get six-to-nine hours a night and 2 percent get zero-to-three hours a night.

According to the University of Georgia’s University Health Center, “Most adults need somewhere between six-to-10 hours of sleep per night. Different people need different amount of sleep to feel rested. If you are frequently tired or irritable during the day and find yourself sleeping more than an extra two hours per night on weekends, then you are probably not getting enough sleep during the week. Try for seven to eight hours and see how you feel.”

In a report called “Causes and Consequences of Sleepiness among College Students” by University of Michigan, 60 percent of students said they are dragging, tired or sleepy at least three days a week. Daytime sleepiness is a major problem for 50 percent of college students.

“I think the lack of sleep comes with the stress of being in college,” CSN student Davaine Calvin said. “[College students] are so drained from long sleepless nights that it would be difficult for anyone to keep an attentive mind.”

“I have a hard time paying attention in class or focusing on a task if I don’t sleep enough,” said CSN student Makella McLaughlin-Vance, who gets about five-to-seven hours of sleep per night. She feels slow and unpleasant when she sleeps less than that.

Sleep deprivation causes many physical and emotional health risks: illnesses, stress, weight gain, decreased academic performance, increased mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, irritability and anger, along with many other very serious problems, according to the University’s report noted above.

In addition to the lack of sleep time, poor sleep quality also poses a problem.

According to a 2014 report by the National Sleep Foundation, “Despite sleeping within the recommended number of hours a night, 35 percent of Americans report their sleep quality as poor or only fair. Twenty percent of Americans reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed on any of the past seven days.”

CSN student Benjamin Mueller, who sleeps six-to-eight hours a night, said, “When I was young I always thought sleep was overrated but as I’ve gotten a job and became a full-time student, my opinion has definitely changed.”

Students at CSN can benefit from good sleep practices as they head into final exams next week. Some tips to follow include the following: avoid caffeine, finish eating at least two-to-three hours before bedtime, maintain a regular bed-time schedule with relaxing routines and create a sleep-conductive environment that is quiet, calm and cool.