One-third of Loyalist students do not get enough sleep

By: Carleen Schmidt

If you had to read this sentence three times because you couldn’t concentrate, it could be from lack of sleep.

In a Pioneer online survey of 100 Loyalist College students, 34 per cent said that for four to seven days a week they are getting less than five hours of sleep. Forty per cent said that for one to three days a week they getting less than five hours, while 26 per cent said they always get at least five hours.

“About four days a week I get less than five hours of sleep and I can never fall asleep right away because I have too much work going through my head,” said Dustin Mahoney, a civil engineering student.

The survey also asked how many students turn off computers, cell phones and other electronics before they go to bed.

Eighty-four per cent said at least one electronic device is always left on. The brain has always been taught that blue light (the sky) means daytime thus time to wake up and become alert and darkness means time to doze off.

“My computer gets turned off but my cell phone is always on when I go to bed because it is my alarm clock as well,” said Caitlin Anne Marie Martorino, an accounting student.

Exposure to blue lights, such as those on some cell phones, computers and iPads, can disturb sleep patterns and increase insomnia, according to Phyllis Zee, a neuroscience professor at Northwestern University. She states if you are using these electronics close to bedtime then “that light can be sufficiently stimulating to the brain to make it more awake and delay your ability to sleep.”

Author Adam Knowlden, a doctoral student from the University of Cincinnati, said in a news release that, “The brain acts like a hard drive on a computer during sleep. It goes in and cleans up memories and makes connections stronger. It gets rid of things it doesn’t need.”

He explained that if a student is sleep-deprived, it affects the whole process. The person can’t concentrate, can’t remember things and isn’t able to learn, defeating the purpose of college.

College students tend to have different schedules than those working steady jobs, causing a difference in sleep patterns compared to the rest of the population.

The first step in helping a student who’s having trouble sleeping is “breaking down what the problem(s) really are and where they are coming from,” said Lauren Deans, Loyalist College’s nurse.

About 15 per cent of students in the college go into the health centre for sleep-related problems every year. There are many possible reasons why students may have difficulty sleeping; a few most common ones are stress, workload and relationships.

“If students can’t sleep at night then they are unable to concentrate on school work or they fall asleep in class and then start to sleep in and miss class altogether, putting their education at risk,” said Deans.

One very important thing that can help students get their much-needed rest is “sleep hygiene,” said Deans.

“It is important to keep the bedroom … used only for sleep. Do your homework in another room, eat in another room and make a habit of only going to the bedroom when going to sleep.”

By doing this you’re telling your body that when you go to your bedroom it is time to sleep and your brain will begin to notice the pattern.

Other tips that sometimes help aid sleep are relaxation methods, warm milk and avoiding caffeine. You can also go to Valerie Geen, who is in charge of mind and wellness services and can help teach the mind to rest.

You can book an appointment with her through the Student Success Hub in room 2H4 or by calling 613-969-1913 Ext. 2519.