In the latest decade sleep deprivation has become a significant challenge to the society, particularly among university students. Lack of enough sleep additionally has an adverse impact on the performance of most university and university students. Medical practitioners claim that sleep is a vital element for adolescents and teenagers, and hence the lack of it is detrimental to their development. Sleep deprivation amongst college and university student has developed into a great challenge for most institutions of higher learning. Since schools and universities offer students their first breath of independence from the supervision of their parents, they often fail to adhere to their dozing schedules. In this respect, students allocate for themselves time schedules that have very little regard for enough sleep. Alternatively, sleep deprivation among college and university students is also a result of the societal pressures placed on young people to excel and succeed, which predisposes them to various illnesses and lowers their academic abilities. Nonetheless, regardless of the negative consequences associated with sleep deprivation, student continue to engage in this practice.
Sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation tends to have an adverse impact on the health of most students even though they may not be aware of it. As a result of not getting sufficient sleep, most students find that they feel tired throughout the day. This means that when they are not fully conscious during the day, they are not able to process information and acquire new knowledge to the best of their abilities. Researchers have also noted that a lack of sleep has the potential to weaken an individual’s immune system, which could predispose the students to infectious diseases (Gilbert and Weaver 295-297).
In the contemporary era where there is an over-emphasis on grades to determine intelligence students tend to neglect the significance of having enough sleep. In this regard, they often stay up till late in an attempt to study more and also complete their homework. They apportion considerable importance to their homework and grades at the expense of getting enough sleep. To most students, it appears that there is no sufficient time during the day to accomplish the numerous tasks in their schedules, and hence sleeping time is sacrificed (Hershner and Chervin 78-79). Students are also engaged in perpetual competition amongst one another. Therefore, to become the best in their academic studies, students strive to keep up with their school assignments and homework to attain the best grades, and hence more allocation of time to studies at the expense of sleep.
Another factor closely associated with sleep deprivation among college and university students is the amount of workload they are assigned in school. Students have complained that they have relatively heavy workloads to accomplish on a daily basis, and hence the need to allocate more time to work on assignments and homework. Since they want to get good reviews and mark in their assignments, they forego sleep to work on them (Hershner and Chervin 76-77). Nonetheless, most students rarely realize that sleep deprivation not only has an adverse impact on their health, but also significantly affects their academic performance.
Sleep deprivation among college and university students can be avoided or mitigated through effective planning and scheduling of activities. However, students should be very strict in following their schedules to avoid sleep deprivation. In addition, sleep deprivation can also be reduced by ensuring that the assignments and homework given to students are commensurate with their ability to accomplish the task. For instance, complex questions can be allocated more time to facilitate research (Gilbert and Weaver 299-301). Moreover, the society should develop a new narrative that does not equate success with academic excellence, which is the primary reason why most students skip sleep to study. The use of natural talents such as music and sports are also sources of success that students can pursue.
Conclusion
Sleep is a crucial component in the health of any individual. It also has a significant impact on a person's ability to learn. Therefore, sleep deprivation is a critical concern for the wellbeing of most students. Nonetheless, students will never realize or accept the significance of getting enough sleep unless deprivation is avoided. Reducing the workload, effective planning, as well as reforming societal believes will assist in mitigation the situation.
Works Cited
Gilbert, Steven P., and Cameron C. Weaver. "Sleep quality and academic performance in university students: A wake-up call for college psychologists." Journal of college student psychotherapy 24.4 (2010): 295-306. Print. Hershner, Shelley D., and Ronald D. Chervin. "Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students." Nature & Science of Sleep 6.1 (2014): 73-84. Print.
