lackofsleep

Kori Pickering, a first year General Studies studies student takes a few minutes from studying to rest in the library.

The snooze button is very popular among students who are up late at night doing homework and focusing on other commitments, but a lack of sleep can have dire and long lasting effects.

“You may find your memory is foggy, you’re very irritable, or forgettable. A lot of students don’t have great sleep hygiene,” says Randi Ferguson, a sleep technologist at Chinook Health Sleep Clinic.

We’ve all heard of our body clocks, and if we stay up late and sleep in constantly, we confuse our bodies and end up tired the next day, making it tough to get back into a regular sleeping pattern.

“Get into habits that make your body realize what time to go to bed. Discipline yourself, go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. If you want to feel better, you have to sleep responsibly,” explains Ferguson.

It often seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day, and although part of the college experience is to get out and have fun, Ferguson explains, “you can’t go to every party.”

For students who make the goal of going to bed at 10 p.m., but don’t hit the hay until midnight and wake up early, regular sleep is seen as a luxury.

“I don’t get to do homework until after 9:30 p.m. when [my kids] go to bed, so I’m up ‘til midnight most of the time doing homework. [I go to] Starbucks on occasion when I can find enough money in the couch,” confesses Brenna Nicholson, a nursing student at the college.

Many students may find themselves falling asleep in class and other areas of the college. Even worse are the number of people falling asleep behind the wheel when they don’t get adequate sleep the night before.

“Sleep’s a big thing to try and fit in. You find yourself staying up late at night and not getting enough sleep. Snooze is a thing I push a lot. When I do get sleep, I’m pretty much out like a light,” says Bryanne Procee, a student at Lethbridge College.

Ferguson says everyone is different, and people need different amounts of sleep

Though the recommended amount of sleep is eight hours a night, some need more. Even though we can survive on less, it’s important to find a balance in order to get a well-rested sleep.

Originally posted 2008-12-04 19:11:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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