When others ask “How are you?” a common response at Hamilton College is: “I am so tired”. I have heard friends complain that they were awake until almost 5am completing assignments, even though adequate sleep aids mental health and retaining new information (Gillen O’Neel et al., 2012).
Life at college is jam-packed, and many students are over scheduled. They feel an immense amount of societal pressure to become or remain “excellent,” and sleep schedules suffer (Barton 2023).
Too Anxious to Sleep?
As the age of children increases, stressors, caused by school work, activities, and/or relationships tend to increase. Average hours of sleep per night begin to decrease. By the time students reach college, stressors are at an all time high, and amount of sleep is at a low (Chen et al., 2019).
The way many children are raised in the United States wires their brains to be more anxious. After the 1980s, parents began reducing the amount of time children were allowed to play outdoors unsupervised. At the same time, adult supervision skyrocketed. Since children can no longer evaluate risks and problem solve for themselves as in the past, they become very anxious when placed into a new environment, such as college (Haidt, 2024).
Youth’s continued reliance on their parents increases their anxiety, as they fear failure in the ‘real world’ (Haidt, 2024). Parents now tend to have closer relationships with their children than past generations, when it was typical for college students to write home weekly.
Yet, students feel less prepared to face obstacles during their college years, lacking trust in their own decisions (Barton, 2023).
The Harm of Insufficient Sleep
Although long-term sleep deprivation negatively affects many people, it is especially prevalent among college students. Mental health, cognition, and leadership skills deteriorate as sleep deprivation sets in (Chen et al., 2019).
Furthermore, sleep “debt” has also been found to carry over into adulthood, increasing the risk for developing mental disorders (Calamaro, Mason, and Radcliffe, 2009).
If these adverse effects can be prevented, what is stopping college students from prioritizing sleep? Is it self-induced pressure to succeed in today’s society? Or something else?
College students feel pressure to “grind” for hours and hours each day, with minimal breaks. I have heard many of my friends say that they feel like they are being lazy, or doing something wrong, if they choose to take a study break or nap.
Rest to Rejuvenate
Adequate rest can reduce the severity of many negative mental health symptoms, promoting a more enjoyable college experience. A good night’s sleep is always a good idea to perform and feel your best.
A reduction in phone usage has shown promising signs in aiding the mental health of adolescents. Reducing social media usage, and spending more time connecting to others face-to-face are good steps to reduce anxiety levels (Haidt, 2024).
It is best for students to maintain consistency within their sleep schedules, and to break up and space out studying, so it does not become overwhelming (Gillen O’Neel et al., 2012), in order to study most effectively.
References
Barton, Aden. 2023. “How Harvard Students Got So Stressed.” The Harvard Crimson, November 30. Retrieved April 2, 2024 (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/11/30/barton-harvard-student-stress/).
Chen, Wei-Lin, and Jen-Hao Chen. 2019. “Sleep Deprivation and the Development of Leadership and Need for Cognition during the College Years.” Journal of Adolescence 73:95 (https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/sleep-deprivation-development-leadership-need/docview/2258135280/se-2). doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.04.003.
Haidt, Jonathan. 2024. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. London: Allen Lane.
