Sleep Deprivation in College Students

Sleep, as we all know, is a basic need of the body. The biological clock of our body is designed in such a way as to regulate the 24 hours to the basic functions of the body, that includes hormone secretion, fluctuations in body temperature and dozens of other voluntary and involuntary bodily activities. Besides these, it also administers the daily cycle of sleep and wakefulness. Sleep deprivation breaks the smooth cycle of our biological clock and affects the mind's efficiency. Sleep deprivation in college students leads to many sleep disorders in students. One of the serious sleep deprivation effects is sleep apnea in which the person chokes while sleeping, during the night. Here's more on sleep deprivation effects.

Sleep Deprivation Causes
According to the reports of the National Sleep Foundation, 63% of the college students in the United States suffer from mild to severe insomnia or sleep deprivation problems. What are the causes of sleep deprivation in college students? Check out some of the following common causes of sleep deprivation in students.

Party Animal: While partying gives you loads of fun, enjoyment and excitement, it quietly digs a grave for your health. Yes, many college students forget that staying up late and guzzling bottles of alcohol directly hampers their physical and mental growth. Neither parents nor teachers have any objection to your parties, but self control and some decency is always expected.

'Vice' Versa: By vice I mean the unhealthy habits, like, smoking, alcohol consumption and drug addiction. Ok, it can sound a bit archaic to youngsters, in that how can they stop drinking and smoking? Well, friends, if you are so resilient in your determination not to stop these activities, then at least try to control these habits else one fine day they will drive you to death. Regular smoking and drinking damages the digestive system and weakens the immune system. Many students say they drink just to fall asleep (how weird!). Sleep is not just lying unconscious or half awake on your bed. Sleep is quite different from what we get after drowning in bottles of hard drinks. Smoking and drinking are the biggest contributing factors in sleep deprivation in college students.

Too Much Pressure: While many teens are able to deal with the academic pressures and studies, some of them feel lost and dejected at their performance. Academic pressures and work load no doubt cause sleepless nights, but the solution is not in being sleep deprived. One must find a balance in life and set his/her priorities right. If your studies are causing sleep deprivation problem in you, then take it as a warning and seek support from your teachers. Don't crumble under huge pressure.

Sleep Deprivation Symptoms
What are the sleep deprivation symptoms that affect the younger generation? In fact, it is not only the young that suffer from sleep deprivation, insomnia is also a problem of a major section of the society.

Heavy Eyelids: One of the most visible symptoms of sleep deprivation in college students is the area under the eyes swells and appears puffed due to incomplete sleep. If someone regularly skips a major fraction of the sleep, then his/her eyelids will surely remain sagged or drooped making it difficult to keep the eyes open. Sleep deprivation is also one of the puffy eyes causes.

Fatigue: Sleep deprivation in college students leads to behavioral changes causing frequent mood swings and extreme exhaustion. Fatigue is a normal consequence of sleep deprivation in college students. As sleep debt accumulates and increases to alarming levels, its results are evident on the physical and mental health of the individual. Sleep debt is basically the debt that is created when you skip a certain amount of your sleep. Normally, an adult needs to sleep for around eight hours. However, if you are not able to sleep as per your body's need, then a sleep debt is created. Our brain has a powerful mechanism called sleep homeostasis, which ensures that the sleep debt does not cause you serious sleep deprivation effects. The homeostatic process regulates the entire sleep debt by making you fall asleep intermittently and progressively in proportion to the sleep debt that has been created. Read more on insomina- how to cure it.

Some other Prominent Sleep Deprivation Symptoms: There are some other sleep deprivation symptoms that are as follows.

• Snoozing off while reading, writing or watching television.
• Slow thinking and poor reaction time
• Forgetfulness and confusion
• Frequent mistakes and irritability
• Depression
• Impatience
• Negativity

Sleep Deprivation Treatment
Serious cases of sleep deprivation need to be tackled with medication and by consulting an expert. However, sleep deprivation can also be treated and controlled by adopting a healthy lifestyle and following the guidelines that are as follows.

• Break the habit of late nights and try to balance your life. Understand that sleep deprivation can be controlled by following a strict discipline and routine. Read more on ways to fall asleep.
• Give up unhealthy habits, like, smoking, alcohol and drugs. Once you get addicted to them, it's difficult to get rid of them. Exercise self control. Read more on how to stop drinking alcohol.
• Some ailments, like, headache, abdominal pain and injuries can also be the cause of sleep deprivation. Do seek medical advice.
• Drink a glass of milk before you go to sleep; it helps in getting a proper sleep. Read more on tips to fall asleep.
• Don't force yourself to sleep. Try reading some book or listen to soothing music. Consider listening to relaxation tapes at bed time. Some tips on how to fall asleep fast.
• Avoid long naps during the day.
• Exercise regularly and make sure you are involved in physical activities during the day. A good workout increases blood circulation and maintains the health.
• Try talking to elders, friends and counselors in case you are not feeling emotionally well or you have some mental agony that is giving you sleepless nights. Never hesitate to take help.
• Learn some meditation techniques or practice yoga and breathing exercises. They are the best cures for sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation in college students is mostly due to the lifestyle changes. If students try and keep a balance in their studies and sports, sleep deprivation can be easily cured. Colleges and universities should ensure that students are aware of the possible threats of sleep deprivation.