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Sleep 101 the end of term, and may stay up at night
By Susan Rosenblum to cram for exams and projects. But you
may be putting yourself at a
Sleep – It seems like something disadvantage by not getting enough
you shouldn’t have to think about, right? sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your
Many people are sleep deprived concentration, alertness, coordination
due to stress, too much work, or poor and memory (“Sleep on It”, 2005).
sleep habits. Adults need at least 7-9 Further, being tired can reduce your
hours of sleep per night, according to the ability to think clearly, and it is harder to
National Sleep Foundation (NSF). stay organized and focused. While many
However, in a recent NSF survey (2005), people drink coffee or cola to stay
adults reported sleeping a nightly awake, these stimulants help minimally.
average of 6.8 hours on weekdays and Thus, while they will keep you wakeful,
7.4 hours on weekends. Many people, your performance may not be up to your
especially students, are sleeping far less usual standard. In fact, lack of sleep can
than they need, and this can have even lower your I.Q. score (“Sleep on
negative effects on mental and physical It”, 2005).
health. Other outcomes of sleep deficits
Our bodies are diurnal, meaning are that it can suppress the immune
the body is supposed to sleep when it is system, leaving one more prone to
dark and be awake when it is light. The illnesses. Further, it can affect moods,
optimal times to go to sleep are between and leave people feeling more irritable,
10 p.m. and 2 a.m., which is when the which makes it is easier to get into
body is designed to rest. Sleeping confrontations. Sleep-deprivation can
allows the brain to regenerate and even effect normal conversation, which
process information (NSF, 2005). could have an impact on giving an oral
According to the NSF (2005), presentation.
getting enough sleep may be a problem Moreover, being tired might
for many young people. This is because make you feel more hungry, causing you
many youth feel most alert after 3 p.m., to over-eat. This is due partly to an
have difficulty going to sleep before 11 increase in the levels of stress hormones,
p.m., and crave more sleep in the which increases the desire for high-fat
morning hours. This is because and high-sugar foods. Unfortunately,
melatonin, a sleep-related hormone that since the body’s metabolism slows down
changes the circadian rhythms of the at night time, so the body burns fewer
sleep-wake cycle, is secreted at a calories.
different time for youth, compared with Another concern about being too
young children and adults. tired is that more motor vehicle
Furthermore, sleep may be the accidents occur when people are less
first thing to go when people are under a alert. Fatigue has been identified as a
lot of pressure to complete tasks. For main cause in thousands of police-
example, as a student, you may feel reported traffic crashes each year, killing
compelled to get everything finished at or injuring many people. Regrettably,
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Needles Hall Room 2080
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www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/
young drivers 25 years or less are 7. Relax before going to bed. Try to
involved in more than one-half of fall- avoid heavy reading, studying,
asleep crashes. and computer games within one
If you see that you are affected hour of going to bed. Plan time to
by lack of sleep, some of the suggestions unwind before going to sleep.
for getting a better rest are listed below. 8. Staying up late can disrupt your
sleep patterns and your ability to
Tips for good sleep habits from the be alert the next day.
National Sleep Foundation
1. Sleep is good for the brain. Get
enough of it, and get it when you References
need it. Even mild sleepiness can
hurt your performance -- from National Sleep Foundation (2005).
taking school exams to playing Sleep in America. Washington, DC:
sports or video games. Lack of Author.
sleep can make you look tired Sleep on It. (2005, May 28). New
and feel depressed, irritable, and Scientist, p. 35.
angry.
2. Be consistent. Establish a regular
bedtime and waketime schedule, (2005, June 3). Oregon Daily Journal,
and try to maintain it during p. Ayisha Yahya, News Editor
weekends and vacations. If you
take a nap, take it early in the URL: www.ledger-enquirer.com
afternoon. URL:www.med.stanford.edu/school/psy
3. Learn how much sleep you need chiatry/humansleep/links.html
to function at your best. You URL: www.sleepfoundation.org/
should wake up feeling rested.
4. Expose yourself to the light as
soon as possible in the morning,
as this helps to signal to the brain
when it should wake up.
5. Understand your circadian
rhythm. Then, you can try to plan
your schedule throughout the day
according to your internal clock.
For example, compensate for
sleepy times by participating in
stimulating activities or classes
that are interactive.
6. In the afternoon, avoid coffee,
colas, alcohol and nicotine.
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Needles Hall Room 2080
(519) 888-4567 ext. 32655
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/
Stanford University Center of
Excellence for the Diagnosis and
Appendix Treatment of Sleep disorders
Center for Narcolepsy
Sleep-related Organisations and Links Sleep Surgery
The Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology
American Academy of Sleep Medicine Laboratory
(AASM) (Formerly the ASDA) School of Sleep Medicine
National Sleep Foundation (NSF) The Sleep Well
Association of Polysomnographic Stanford Primary Care Sleep Education
Technologists (APT) Project
American Sleep Apnea Association UCSF/Stanford Health Care Home Page
(ASAA) Stanford University Medical Center
Restless Legs Foundation (RLSF) Research Studies (partial list)
Narcolepsy Network (NN) Research Related Resources
Stanford's ACCESS - Academic
Consortium for Clinical Excellence
Sleep research organizations in Scientific Studies
Sleep Research Society Stanford Healthlink
World Federation of Sleep Research Circadian Rhythms - Circadian
Societies (WFSRS) Technologies (www.circadian.com)
National Institute of Health Sleep Information for Patients and the
National Center on Research Resources General Public - National Heart,
National Institute on Aging (NIA) Lung & Blood Institute
National Institute on Mental Health (nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute (NHLBI)
National Center on Sleep Disorders
Research
Sleep Research Online
National Library of Medicine - Search
Medline using PubMed or Internet
Grateful Med to find sleep research
studies
New Abstracts and Papers in Sleep
(NAPS)
Bibliosleep - all sleep and sleep-related
papers from 1992 to the present
Centerwatch Clinical Trials Website
Food and Drug Administration's Web
Page
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