May 5, 1997

Sleepless in school: losing '40 winks' can endanger health

By Lisa Haist

ith trying to balance school, extracurricular activities and a social schedule, lack of sleep may cause fatigue and irritability among students.

Of the 80 million Americans suffering from sleep disorders, college students take the lead in sleep deprivation, said Laura Roberts, counseling psychologist at SMU.

"Sleep disorders have a major impact on academic performance, memory, concentration and how we organize our thoughts," Roberts said. "Severe sleep deprivation could be fatal."

Most adults and college students need between six and 10 hours of sleep a night for their bodies to feel refreshed and energized, Roberts said.

Sleep deprivation occurs when people get less sleep than their bodies really need. Temporary sleep deprivation can occur after one night of minimal sleep.

Roberts said the main problem occurs when people are continually deprived of sleep. According to an article from The New York Times, leading researchers in the field of sleep disorders say a person's biological make-up plays a large role in their sleep patterns. Researchers have concluded that melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep and wakefulness cycles, prevents the body from getting up early in the morning and feeling rested if it receives less than its normal amount of sleep.

"What is happening to their biology may be preventing them from and working against them going to bed earlier," said Mary A. Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry at Brown University's School of Medicine.

In a study conducted by Carskadon in 1995, she found the older students get, the less they sleep, causing frequent occurrences of "micro-sleeps" - which are 10 second intervals of nodding off. These quick bursts of drowsiness cause students to lose their concentration and miss important facts, Carskadon said.

First-year student Carrie Gravette experienced sleep deprivation last semester. Her first semester in college brought with it lots of extra activities and freedom, and she found it much more difficult to find time for sleep.

"I was so busy trying to keep my grades up and have a fun social life that sleep seemed to take a back seat to everything else," Gravette said. "I would wake up feeling as if I hadn't slept at all, and I couldn't stay awake in any of my classes. I had made myself physically sick to the point that I had to go to the doctor. Eventually, I had to figure out my priorities and make time for sleep."

Good sleep habits play an important role in combating sleep deprivation.

"The main thing we tell people to do is to go to bed at the same time everyday, regardless of what you're doing the next day. Follow an established routine before you go to sleep," Roberts said. "Don't toss and turn in bed. If you can't sleep after 20 minutes, get up and go somewhere else for a little while."

Roberts said for individuals who suffer from bipolar depression, continued sleep deprivation can lead to a manic episode. As a person gets less sleep, chemicals in his or her body become more activated and a cycle of sleeplessness begins. After a few nights of less than six hours of sleep, people have a build-up of chemicals in their body causing them to become jittery and anxious. Once this feeling sets in, it can be difficult and it takes discipline to reverse the effects of sleep deprivation.

"If you can go to bed and wake up without an alarm clock and feel rested, then you're probably getting enough sleep," Roberts said.

Few college students have the luxury of waking up every morning without the aid of a mechanical device, and they often turn to various drugs. Most substances only enhance the negative effects of sleep deprivation.

Alcohol makes sleep disorders worse, and sleeping pills should be avoided, Roberts said. Over-the-counter remedies usually do not prove effective, according to Reneau Peurifoy, an expert on sleep disorders, and prescription drugs have been known to alter sleep patterns and suppress REM sleep, when the body is restored.

Roberts also suggested lowering caffeine intake and avoiding it three to five hours before going to bed to avoid a restless state.

While exercising increases a person's health, it should not take place right before going to bed because it makes the body alert and awake.

One of the most crucial methods to help lessen the chance of sleeplessness is to "reserve your bed for sleeping and sex, and don't do anything else there," Roberts said.

Peurifoy agrees that a bed should not be an all purpose place for reading, studying or watching television.

If people get accustomed to performing activities in bed, when awake and alert, it will be more difficult for them to relax and fall asleep in that same place.

For anyone who believes they may be suffering from sleep deprivation or a different sleep disorder, the SMU Memorial Health Center offers counseling for underlying emotional problems that may cause sleeplessness, Roberts said. The health center houses an staff psychiatrist in case of a serious problem that needs to be carefully monitored and treated with medication.

Peurifoy said sleeping disorders have evolved into a major problem for Americans, especially college-aged students, and the National Institute of Health needs to place more importance on these issues.

Students can start to combat sleep disorders by becoming aware of the problem and taking measures to treat and prevent it.

"I've felt so much more alive this semester after learning how to make time for everything, especially sleep," Gravette said.

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