EDITORIAL: College students should prioritize sleep

It’s not uncommon to hear our peers subtly brag about pulling all-nighters to finish papers, getting tasks done on only a few hours of sleep, or being so busy that they don’t have the time to get a full night’s sleep. 

But chronic sleep deprivation isn’t something to be proud of. Regularly missing out on shut-eye can be detrimental to one’s health and productivity.  

College students should prioritize having a consistent sleep schedule and getting quality sleep each night so they can feel and perform their best.

Sleep is vital for maintaining mental and physical health. According to the Sleep Foundation, sleep helps us restore our bodies and minds and affects almost every tissue in the body. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. 

Sleep can impact emotional health as well. According to Psychology Today, studies have shown that a lack of sleep can increase emotional reactivity and decrease the ability to see situations from someone else’s perspective, which is a key component of empathy. 

Sleep also affects one’s cognitive abilities. According to Psychology Today, a study published in 2018 tracked the sleep patterns of over 10,000 subjects and tested their cognition and memory. 

Those who reported consistently getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night scored the highest, whereas those who consistently got more, or fewer hours, of sleep showed impairment in reasoning, problem-solving, and verbal abilities. 

Additionally, for participants who reported sleeping four hours or less over an extended period, cognitive test results declined as much as if they had aged eight years. 

Since sleep plays a significant role in memory consolidation and overall cognitive functioning, a lack of sleep can make it harder to concentrate in school and retain information. Therefore, college students, who need to be able to problem-solve and retain information for their classes, should strive to get restful sleep each night. 

Knowing that getting proper sleep is such an important aspect of living a healthy lifestyle and performing optimally in daily activities, we provided a few tips below for getting better sleep:

• Create a consistent sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every night, even on the weekends. 
• Have a relaxing “wind-down” routine before bed. 
• Get enough exercise and natural light during the day. 
• Turn off electronics before bed. 
• Avoid caffeine consumption late in the day.

Although it can be tempting to sacrifice sleep for getting tasks done, it ultimately isn’t worth it in the long run because sleep affects many aspects of our well-being. Do yourself a favor and start taking sleep seriously.