The Importance of Sleep for College Students

Why Is It Important to Prioritize Sleep During College?

Poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation are common among college students, and this can have adverse effects on their academic performance, social life, and mental health.

Establishing a sleep schedule and getting plenty of uninterrupted sleep can positively impact a student’s mental health, memory consolidation, stress levels, decision-making skills, and academic performance.

Getting enough rest can reduce daytime sleepiness and improve your focus and attention during lectures and study sessions. Sleep also helps your brain process and store new information, so you’re more likely to remember what you’ve learned after a good night’s sleep. This means that pulling all-nighters to cram for exams can actually hurt your performance. Instead, prioritize sleep to give your brain time to consolidate what you’ve studied. Developing a healthy sleep routine can greatly boost your academic success.

Prioritizing sleep in college is essential for reducing stress caused by academic pressure and protecting your mental health. Chronic sleep deprivation can make you feel tired, irritable, and moody, which increases stress and lowers your patience. Over time, this can contribute to anxiety, depression, and decreased productivity in college. Lack of sleep also makes it harder to concentrate, creating a harmful cycle that’s difficult to break.

Prioritizing sleep as a college student can also help you make good decisions regarding social interactions in new environments. The frontal cortex does not fully develop until the early to mid 20’s, so college students are prone to making impulsive decisions, and a lack of sleep can add to this. Adopting a healthy sleep routine can help you make smart decisions and be less impulsive.

Sleep Deprivation in College Students

Sleep deprivation can create the same level of impairment as driving drunk, which can cause slowed reaction times and impaired concentration. Unfortunately, many college students are sleep-deprived and may not even realize it. At first, you may not notice the subtle signs of sleep deprivation, but after a few days or even weeks, you may see the following:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Falling asleep in class
• Irritable mood
• Trouble coping with stress
• Difficulty remembering things

Over time, sleep deprivation can lead to the following:

• Poor decision making
• Decline in academic performance
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Suicidal thoughts
• Weight gain and obesity
• Poor physical health
• Weakened immune system  

How Much Sleep Do College Students Need?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, college students need 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Unfortunately, over half of college students sleep less than 7 hours each night, meaning that the majority of college students are sleep deprived.

Most college students are not getting enough sleep due to many factors such as:

• Cramming for exams
• Dealing with the stress that comes with transitioning to college life
• Balancing academic pressures with part-time jobs
• Late-night screen time
• Shared living situations
• Poor sleep hygiene
• Dealing with the stress and anxiety that comes along with the academic pressures of college

Many students try to catch up on sleep by sleeping in on weekends, but this does not effectively reverse the effects of chronic sleep deprivation. Some believe they can function well on just a few hours of sleep each night, but they may not realize the strain this places on their mind and body. Over time, the negative effects of insufficient sleep can build up, leading to serious consequences for both physical and mental health.

How Does Sleep Impact Mental Health?

Poor quality sleep or insufficient sleep can wreak havoc on mental health, whereas sufficient sleep and good quality sleep can improve mental health.

A sleepless night often leaves us feeling groggy, irritable, and unfocused. Over time, poor sleep can heighten negative emotions, reduce our ability to cope with stress, and strain our relationships. It also impairs learning and academic performance by making it harder to focus during lectures and preventing the brain from effectively storing new information. As a result, even long hours of studying may not translate to better exam performance, leading to increased stress and anxiety. Chronic sleep deprivation can also contribute to serious mental health issues, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

Tips For Getting Good Sleep In College

There are many benefits of sleep on one’s mental health. Fortunately, there are also many ways to prioritize sleep during college, including:

Establish a Routine Sleep Schedule

Establishing a sleep routine means going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning so your body is accustomed to 7-9 hours of sleep each night at the same time. Upon awakening, expose yourself to morning sunlight.

Avoid Daytime Napping

If you are trying to maintain a sleep schedule, it’s best to avoid naps; however, if you must nap, keep it short. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends keeping naps under an hour and taking them before 3 p.m. to prevent them from disrupting your sleep schedule.

Don’t Sleep in on the Weekends

Maintaining your bedtime and waking times, even on the weekends, is recommended to help your body maintain its regular sleep routine.

Invest in a Healthy Sleep Environment

Comfortable bedding, pillows, a fan to keep your bedroom cool, blackout shades, ear plugs, and an eye mask are all important parts of having a comfortable and restful sleep. If your environment is noisy or uncomfortable, you will not sleep well.

Use the Bed Only for Sleeping

Avoid studying and watching television from your bed and only use the bed for sleep.

Avoid Caffeine in the Afternoon

Avoid drinking caffeine mid-afternoon, as it can make falling asleep at night difficult.

Limit Alcohol

While alcohol may help you fall asleep more quickly, it disrupts sleep quality by increasing nighttime awakenings, often leaving you feeling tired the next day. To support better sleep, it’s best to avoid alcohol before bedtime and limit overall consumption whenever possible.

Avoid Late-Night Exercise

Engaging in a daily exercise routine is important but avoid exercising 2-3 hours before bedtime. Exercising late can make it more difficult to fall asleep due to the increase in endorphins your body produces during exercise.

Avoid Eating Too Late

Try to eat dinner 2 to 4 hours before bedtime so your body has enough time to digest before sleep.

Adopt a “Wind Down” Routine

Whether this is reading, journaling, or listening to music, find something relaxing before you fall asleep.

Avoid Electronic Devices Before Bed

Avoid phones, televisions, and tablets at least 2 hours before bedtime, as these electronics and their blue light can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Dealing With Insomnia In College

Insomnia disorder is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early, resulting in daytime impairments.

Insomnia symptoms are often due to poor sleep hygiene, stress due to academic pressure, and balancing the many different aspects of college. Unfortunately, there is no “quick fix” to dealing with insomnia in college; many elements must be addressed, starting with adopting a healthy sleep hygiene schedule. Prioritizing your sleep schedule, study time, daily exercise, and a healthy diet can help you fall asleep at night.

• Avoid all-nighters, alcohol, unhealthy foods, and daytime caffeine.
• Keep a sleep journal to help you understand how you sleep at night, how you feel during the day, what you are doing during the day, and how these correlate with each other to help you adopt a healthier sleep routine. Some free sleep tracking apps include Sleep Cycle and Pillow, which can be found in your phone’s app store.
• Reduce stress levels and practice healthy routines to manage your mental health.

When to Seek Professional Support

If your lack of sleep negatively impacts how you feel during the day and is taking a toll on your mental health, physical health, or academic performance, you may need to seek out professional help.

A therapist, sleep specialist, or physician can help you determine if you have a sleep disorder that is causing you to be unable to sleep. You can start by visiting your student health center or wellness center and setting up an appointment with a therapist and a physician.

Sometimes, trouble sleeping is caused by underlying stressors that therapy can help. Once a sleep disorder is ruled out, a therapist can help you work through any underlying stress that is causing you not to sleep and can also work to help you establish a sleep routine, sleep diary, and proper sleep hygiene. Sleep medications may help, but this is a decision that your treatment team should make.