Whether by choice or the sheer weight of their responsibilities, varsity students are not getting enough sleep. Yes, some can operate on less sleep than others, but according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adults between 18 and 60 years old need more than seven hours per night of good quality sleep. Teens need more; between eight to 10 hours a night.
So what? We all know that your university years are going to be filled with stress, loads of hard work, no small amount of partying, and likely a pretty poor diet. People get through it.
Consider the following points.
Three Good Reasons Students Should be Getting Enough Sleep
1. Your Overall Health
We know that our bodies use this vital downtime to fix what’s broken in our system and perform essential maintenance. Students who aren’t getting enough sleep are more prone to illness, have a lower immune system, may well suffer from eating and hormone disorders, and have impaired motor and cognitive functions.
2. Brain Health
A good night’s sleep will positively impact your memory retention. Why? Because it’s during the essential REM cycles that your brain efficiently stores important stuff in your long-term memory. You will also find that good sleep habits allow you work wake as a more creative and positive person. Who doesn’t need that?
3. Emotional Health
Varsity students are at risk of developing anxiety disorders and depression, and a lack of quality sleep only makes this worse. Do you find that you suffer from insomnia, fatigue or a general lack of enthusiasm? Do you often have panic attacks or anxious thoughts? Do you find relationships hard to manage and that you get irritated or angry very quickly? These common signs of depression should not go untreated, and one key area which has been proven to help is getting enough sleep.
Easier said than done?
Well, we’ll talk more about how we sabotage our own efforts of getting enough sleep in our next article.