CAPS provides insight for better sleep
Sleep is one of the most important processes the human body experiences, yet a concerning amount of people don’t get the proper amount. Whatever the reason may be, this can be detrimental, as establishing good sleep habits is a crucial part of bolstering overall health.
Despite this, over 70% of university students report they fail to get eight hours of sleep a night, which is the recommended amount for teenagers and young adults. Additionally, up to 60% of all college students say they suffer from poor sleep quality, heightening the issues.
Physical and mental symptoms of sleep deprivation include irritability, impaired concentration, increased stress and slowed reaction time. Going 24 hours without sleep – or, pulling a single all-nighter – has a similar effect on the brain as having a blood alcohol content of 0.1%.
One reason students stay up is to complete assignments or study for exams. Yet more than 80% of university students say they suffer academically from losing sleep.
Tanner Layton, a first-year student majoring in communication, said he gets an average of six hours of sleep every night.
“Sleep affects my studies, so it directly affects my grades,” Layton said. “I know that if I started getting more sleep, my studies would improve.”
On average, professors seem to get a bit more rest. Andrea Diamond, an adjunct professor in the English department, said she gets seven-and-a-half hours of sleep nightly.
“I have much more clarity, much more emotional bandwidth,” Diamond said. “I love being able to be engaged and really help problem solve with people who need it.”
To help shed light on this issue, Utah State University’s Department of Counseling and Psychological Services held a Zoom meeting called “Improving Your Sleep” on Nov. 14. The workshop was intended to help students and faculty learn the risks and disadvantages of poor sleep as well as tips, habits and routines to improve sleep schedules.
One of the first things discussed was the four stages of sleep, and why each of them are important. They can be broken down into two categories: non-REM, or “N” stages, and REM sleep.
N1 is the first stage, sometimes called transitional sleep. This is when people physically feel themselves falling asleep, and it’s also when those random “falling” sensations occur. It typically lasts about 5-10 minutes, and the sleeper can easily be awoken.
N2, or light sleep, is the second stage. This stage is when the body truly begins to settle into rest. Body temperature cools, heart rate slows and the brain produces sleep spindles; these are brief spikes in neural activity assisting with several processes in the brain, including the secretion of sleeping hormones like melatonin. The NA stage lasts for about 20 minutes.
N3, or deep sleep, is the third stage. By this point, the body is well asleep, and it may take a while to be woken up. This stage is very important for physical health. Muscles relax, breathing rates and blood pressure lower and the body begins to heal itself from the wear and tear of daily life. This is the part of sleep where the body repairs injuries and fights illness. It typically lasts 20-40 minutes.
REM, or rapid eye movement sleep, is the final stage. As the name suggests, the eyes move rapidly during this stage. REM sleep is crucial for psychological health, as this is when things like memory consolidation and emotional processing happens.
During this stage the brain releases gamma-aminobutyric acid and glycine, hormones which act as a paralytic to prevent the body from acting out dreams. The first REM stage may only last a few minutes, but later stages can reach an hour.
After REM sleep is finished, the body returns to N1, and the cycle continues.
CAPS also discussed many of the reasons for insomnia, as well as how to combat it.
An unsuspecting source is simply spending too much time lying in bed. Bed pairing happens when your brain makes connections between your bed and non-sleep activities.
When you study, eat or lie awake in the bedroom, the body begins to falsely recognize the space as a place to be awake, leading to a struggle to fall asleep once it’s time. The solution? If you’re not trying to sleep, leave the bedroom.
Similarly, CAPS recommended students should avoid using electronic devices in the bedroom. The light from electronics increases the alpha wave activity in the brain, preventing the release of melatonin by tricking the eyes into thinking the blue light emitted from screens is the daytime sky.
This could mean moving a TV from the bedroom to the living room, reading books on paper instead of online or charging phones in a separate room. Turning off electronic devices 30 minutes before bedtime allows the effects of the blue light to dissipate.
After all of this, if you still find yourself unable to sleep, there is hope. If you are still lying in bed after 15-20 minutes, get up and do something. Try to avoid turning on electronics because doing this can exacerbate the issue. Picking an activity such as reading a book or reviewing notes can be helpful.
Professor Diamond also shed some clarity on how to balance a college education with the body’s needs.
“Do the work you need to do in the day, ask for help when you can’t get it done, shelve the things that you can do later and use tools like writing, meditating and breathing,” Diamond said. “Support yourself as a human.”
According to CAPS, the most important thing to keep in mind is that sleep is essential for both the mind and body, and establishing good habits will allow students to be healthy and more successful.