Associate sociology professor Toby Ten Eyck said he noticed a habit when talking with incoming freshmen during this year's Academic Orientation Program.
He said many of them were under the impression that, when coming to college, they're supposed to behave as night owls and stay up all night to study or to party. He added that many of them didn't realize the negative impact these habits would have on their studies.
"Something needs to be stressed about developing good sleeping habits," he said. "Most kids at AOP seem to think they'll come here, stay up all night and cram for exams. These are bad habits they're forming."
A new study highlighting the harmful effects of a lack of sleep on college students was recently released by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in Illinois, which compared the damaging effects on their learning capability were compared to a night out binge drinking.
The study was conducted by Roxanne Prichard and Monica Hartmann, professors at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Missouri. The duo found that poor sleeping habits were not only harmful to students' grades — they also lead to students dropping the courses completely.
Data for the study was collected from the spring 2009 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment. Hartmann said the survey, which included more than 43,000 participants, was the basis for their data.
Dr. William Kohler, the medical director at the Florida Sleep Institute, said every person has their own needs when it comes to sleep. He added that people within the late-teenager age range typically need more than the usual amount eight to nine hours.
Ten to fifteen minute power naps are recommended for students who can’t reach the recommended nine hours. He said students should also make it a priority to go to bed and wake up at the same time, and to not take power naps close to when they planned on going to bed.
"A lack of sleep makes you function as if you were drunk," Kohler said. "If you just drank a beer during the day, it wouldn't effect you. If you're sleep-deprived and drink a beer, it makes you act and function the way you would if you were drunk."
Ten Eyck said he occasionally notices campaigns that promote healthy sleeping habits on Impact 89FM and across shirts for the Olin Health Center Duck Campaign. However, he said he doesn't notice good sleeping and study habits addressed as much as they necessarily should be.
"There are a number of risks health-wise to sleep deprivation," he said. "Being as young as most students are you can expect lethargy. Study habits and focus will take a hit, students won't wanna work out. ... It's a matter of developing their internal clocks."
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