Sleeping Disorders In College

Vinh Nguyen


As students cram for their upcoming midterm exams using caffeine products, they are prone to staying up all night, resulting in sleep deprivation. As a matter of fact, 63% of college students don't get enough sleep according to this article. Sleeping disorders have become common in college students. It is a shame because sleep deprivation can lead to sleep apnea, which is a chronic condition that disrupts one's sleep 3 or more nights in a week causing poor sleep quality according to this article. Although sleep apnea looks harmless, on the long run however, sleep apnea can be life-threatening. Not only sleep apnea can increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks, and obesity but it can increase the probability of having a work-related or driving accidents. "A major reason students do not get enough sleep is for extra study time, but the more sleep you get, the more efficient your study time will be," said Dr. Carl Hunt from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
In addition to sleep apnea, a more serious problem aroused from sleep deprivation is insomnia, which is not that common in college students. Nonetheless, it can be quite troublesome. Take the case of Ryan Harris for instance. According to this article, Ryan Harris was a freshman at Princeton University when he was not able to sleep after a few bad nights of sleep. It is not just at Princeton where sleeping disorders are prevalent, but the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois recently found that at least two thirds of college students have occasional sleep disorders and one third of those have severe sleep difficulties.
Sleeping deprivation can be very serious. So whether it be cramming for upcoming tests or hanging out with friends late, remember that one needs at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Otherwise, you might be the next Ryan Harris.
P.s Sorry for posting irregularly or not posting at all for the past 2-3 weeks. I have been really busy and catching up on sleep after my first rounds of tests. But I'm hoping to post every Mondays from now on.