As the saying goes, you can sleep when you’re dead, and some college students take this saying literally.
What some people don’t know is that college-aged students should be getting approximately eight to 10 hours of sleep a night, according to associate psychology professor Alan Teich.
Teich said that of all demographics, college students are the ones who suffer from sleep deprivation most.
Some sleep deprivation symptoms are lack of concentration, lack of weight loss and increase of illness. Lethargy is another common symptom, according to Teich.
Lack of sleep compromises our immune system, which is why illness is increased, Teich said.
“We can see relationships between sleep deprivation and major killers, like heart disease and cancer,” Teich said.
Teich said the worst symptom for college students is the lack of concentration.
“Sleep helps conserve long-term memory,” Teich said.
Being that college students have schoolwork and tests to worry about, concentration is important, Teich said.
Teich makes it a point to ask his students each semester how many hours of sleep they get on average a night.
Students said they get five to seven hours of sleep a night.
Senior Jay Jones said that, on average, she gets approximately five hours of sleep a night.
“On a good week I’ll sleep five hours each night; on a bad week I’ll pull three all-nighters,” Jones said.
Jones is an Alpha Gamma Delta sister, plays intramural volleyball and works at the Galleria’s Yankee Candle. On top of that, she is taking 18 credits this semester.
Jones said that the reason she doesn’t get the right amount of sleep is because she needs to get schoolwork and studying done.
Jones admitted that she tends to get sick often, but as for how she feels daily, she said OK because she generally has gotten used to not sleeping regularly.
Senior Joe Seigh said that schoolwork takes up his time, and, for him to be able to do the things he enjoys like watching TV or hanging out with friends, he is forced to stay up late.
Seigh works in the mailroom, plays intramural sports and is a Sigma Tau Gamma brother. He is also enrolled in 18 credits for this semester.
“I probably get more sleep than most people,” Seigh said.
He said he gets on average 5 ½ hours of sleep a night.