College Students Not Getting Enough Sleep

A survey of Colorado College students has shed light on an endemic lack of sleep amongst the student body. The survey also provided some surprising figures on the leading reasons behind this trend. While it may not shock you that exactly six in 10 students get an inconsistent amount of nightly rest, its worth noting that 95 percent of those six claim they receive too little sleep and only five percent allege too much.

Young adults between 18 and 22 generally get less sleep worldwide than they should. This statistic makes perfect sense, since the recommended figure according to the American Sleep Disorders Association stands at nine and a half hours on the average night, and getting this much sleep is “simply impossible,” according to sophomore Denali Gillaspie. “There are so many things we want to do that sleep just isn’t high on the priority list.”

Despite the conscious effort students make to catch up with sleep on the weekends, all grades are behind on both weekdays and weekends. In fact, 96 percent of the 410 students who took the survey received less than nine hours Sunday through Thursday. Although a significant drop occurs on the weekend, the majority (56 percent) still get less than nine hours on Friday and Saturday night.

Since nine hours is realistically asking too much, consider that 35 percent of students receive six or less hours a weeknight, with another 35 percent getting just seven. Far less, only 25 percent get eight hours on weeknights. On a brighter note, it’s nice to know that over 70 percent of participants prided themselves on getting eight or more hours of sleep on Friday and Saturday night.

Perhaps most alarming is how little sleep students receive on the final week of the block. “It’s the stress week,” claims sophomore Noah Gallo-Brown. “Why do you think the library is open till 4 a.m.?” Nearly eight in 10 participants receive less nightly sleep on the final three nights of the block than he or she received the previous three weeks.

Next time you’re in class, look around the room and see if anyone is dozing off. This is not always the professor’s fault. Of course, homework loads can ruin sleep schedules, but it’s often the undergrad who doesn’t make efforts to get the sleep he or she needs. “CC students push themselves beyond what’s necessary, packing their schedules with clubs and commitments,” declared freshman Alyssa Northam. “I know I am often too busy to take a nap I really need.”

While 20 percent of students say they never or very rarely nap, nearly two in five of those surveyed claimed they napped one to three times per week, with one in three napping just once every two weeks to a month. Some students nap nearly every day, making up for the lack of sleep they get at night.

The reasons behind Colorado College student’s lack of sleep may surprise you. While 83 percent of students claim homework keeps them up, 62 percent claim that hanging out interrupts sleep time. More students claimed friends kept them up than parties kept them out. “My roommates have a great time keeping me from sleeping,” said Denali Gillaspie. Another one in five students claimed that their surroundings were too loud.

Although the survey was completed by over 20 percent of the student body, men made up only 30 percent of participants. And while many studies show women receive less sleep than men nationwide, conclusive evidence has yet to reveal whether male or female college students get the leg-up on sleep.