2008 Woodie Awards
The College Epidemic: Sleep Deprivation
Francesca Bonaiuto Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 4/28/05 Section: Special Report
Common symptoms include drowsiness and heads drooping in class. The victims can be found downing caffeinated coffee and energy drinks at the SHU market or local Dunkin Donuts before retreating to a two-hour class.
The culprit? It's called sleep deprivation, and it's a widespread epidemic across college campuses everywhere.
Sleep deprivation is one of those things we seem not to notice until it catches up with us. And then we rarely recognize it for what it is because we've been reducing our sleep cumulatively over a whole semester or longer.
Dr. Omar Burschtin, of The New York University School of Medicine Sleep Disorders Center, says that 90 percent of college students suffer from sleep deprivation. This is the result of everything from noisy bedrooms to all-nighters at the library.
Most students admitted that they are not sleeping enough.
"Between classes, school work, holding a job and trying to have a social life, I get an average of three to five hours of sleep a night," says Marcella Bonaiuto, junior, Rye, NY. "I am always exhausted and often find myself taking naps mid-afternoon," adds Bonaiuto.
If college students whine about not getting enough sleep and continual drowsiness, why then do they continue to deprive themselves of it? Procrastination to avoid work and your basic messing around were overwhelmingly cited as responses.
"I take the cake when it comes to procrastinating," says Rachel Pastore, senior, New York. "I wait till hours before class to do my work," adds Pastore.
"There's always something to do, before you have to do it", says Matthew Flynn, junior, Wethersfield.
Late-night party going is also a big factor contributing to the loss of sleep for many students.
"I am out almost every night of the week," says Kathleen Elder, senior, Hopkinton, MA. "When I am stressed, you can find me at Bennigans. Going out is a social thing, but it's also a good way to get my mind off of work," adds Elder.
The culprit? It's called sleep deprivation, and it's a widespread epidemic across college campuses everywhere.
Sleep deprivation is one of those things we seem not to notice until it catches up with us. And then we rarely recognize it for what it is because we've been reducing our sleep cumulatively over a whole semester or longer.
Dr. Omar Burschtin, of The New York University School of Medicine Sleep Disorders Center, says that 90 percent of college students suffer from sleep deprivation. This is the result of everything from noisy bedrooms to all-nighters at the library.
Most students admitted that they are not sleeping enough.
"Between classes, school work, holding a job and trying to have a social life, I get an average of three to five hours of sleep a night," says Marcella Bonaiuto, junior, Rye, NY. "I am always exhausted and often find myself taking naps mid-afternoon," adds Bonaiuto.
If college students whine about not getting enough sleep and continual drowsiness, why then do they continue to deprive themselves of it? Procrastination to avoid work and your basic messing around were overwhelmingly cited as responses.
"I take the cake when it comes to procrastinating," says Rachel Pastore, senior, New York. "I wait till hours before class to do my work," adds Pastore.
"There's always something to do, before you have to do it", says Matthew Flynn, junior, Wethersfield.
Late-night party going is also a big factor contributing to the loss of sleep for many students.
"I am out almost every night of the week," says Kathleen Elder, senior, Hopkinton, MA. "When I am stressed, you can find me at Bennigans. Going out is a social thing, but it's also a good way to get my mind off of work," adds Elder.