What Really Happens When We Don’t Get Enough Sleep

It’s not even 9 a.m., you're on your second cup of coffee, and already feel drained in every which way possible. As you rub your eyes, exhausted from the thought of an endless to-do list, you begin to think about the last time you actually felt well-rested. But what does it matter? Feeling overtired has been the norm, and this must be how “adulting” goes. Still, with so many things to do and so little time, you ignore the exhaustion and power through, allowing yourself a 10 minute nap in between classes if time allows it.

If this sounds familiar, you, my friend, are seriously sleep deprived.

No matter what you tell yourself, extensive research has shown that depending on the individual, our bodies need between seven to nine hours of sleep to function normally.  Anything less of that qualifies as severe sleep deprivation. Just to name a few, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness, weight gain and depression are some of the many consequences of not getting enough sleep.

We often use the term “sleep when you’re dead,” to encourage our friends to live in the moment, or even to push ourselves through writing a paper we waited a bit too long to complete, but the truth is getting enough sleep should be a number one priority over anything else. According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2011, one third of the American population is not getting an adequate amount of sleep. I will be the first to admit that I do not sleep as much as I should, getting about seven hours a night and maybe seven and a half if I’m lucky. From conversations with other college students, there seems to be a few recurring reasons for this lack of sleep: deadlines,  busy schedules and stress.

What we have to remember is that while it sometimes feels like there isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything you have to do, we have to remember we are working with 24 hours: that is approximately 1,440 minutes each day to start fresh and manage our time in an efficient way which allots plenty of time for a proper night’s sleep. Instead of staying up an extra hour to watch an episode of Stranger Things, think about how crappy you will feel for the next afternoon. If procrastination is something you truly struggle with, try breaking up your work into small manageable chunks that you can tackle each day, or try downloading a productivity app to help you manage time efficiently.

One of the realities of being a college student in 2017, is that stress is something we encounter almost every day. According to new study, millennials are more stressed out than any other generation that has been researched before, and over 50 percent reported being kept up at night thinking about all of their “overwhelming worries”.

While rubbing your eyes and powering through the day seems doable now, according to the National Sleep Foundation, 20 years from now your risk of a getting a stroke quadruples, the risk of certain cancers increase, and you are more susceptible to specific illnesses including diabetes and and heart disease.

 

The good news is, most of the time lack of sleep occurs due to routine. Things like overconsumption of caffeine and eating sugary foods to obtain a boost of energy ultimately backfire, leaving your body in a sudden crash. Instead of supplementing sleep with short-term solutions, work on eating a balanced diet and getting into a consistent exercise routine. Instead of spending extra time at night to finish assignments, shut off  all electronics at least one hour before bed, and commit to a good night’s sleep followed by a day of kick-a*s productivity.

By making a few lifestyle tweaks and retraining your body’s routine, you could be on the right track towards attaining the right amount of sleep. It takes some time, but once you begin making a conscious effort in prioritizing sleep, you will most-definitely notice a difference. While lazy afternoons and catnaps are doable, we have far too many goals to accomplish to fall victim to chronic exhaustion.