You’re cramming for an exam or rushing to finish that homework assignment. Or, you’re running around trying to get all those important things done. Better yet, you’re up all night because of the copious amounts of caffeine pumping through your veins. If you’re lucky you’re catching maybe a few hours of sleep. Then you wake up and start all over again. Sound familiar? If one of these routines, or maybe all, sounds like a typical day-in-the-life, you may need to rethink your lifestyle.

Graphic by Lacey Vandermeer and Jessica Vretenar

Students, especially around finals time, often slack when it comes to the right amount of sleep needed to get through a day. If it is done infrequently, sleeping less than average is not necessarily a problem. When sleep becomes either an unimportant component to the day, simple tasks can become more difficult than before.

A typical young adult, aged 13-20, needs 9.2 hours of sleep, Dierdre Dalsing, counselor, said. Most, if not all, college students are not getting that amount.

“Sleep deprivation is not getting enough sleep to be rested and fully energized and to be able to be up all day long without being tired, or needing a nap,” Dalsing said.

Everyone goes through sleep deprivation, especially around finals time for students. However, repeatedly skimping on sleep can counteract studying and memory.

“Students who do not get a rested and energizing sleep will only hurt themselves in the longterm,” Dalsing said. Besides physical impairments, lack of sleep can affect concentration, memory and problem solving abilities. Students will find themselves unable to remember what they’ve been cramming because their normal functions are impaired due to lack of sleep.

“Everyday problem solving may not feel as easy as it should, students will struggle more,” Dalsing said.

The immune system is also heavily affected by lack of sleep, Todd Riley, Student Health Services Medical Director, said. Normal reflexes and judgments are also impaired. Some form of stress is also a common reaction to lack of sleep.

“Hypertension and high blood pressure are also linked to lack of sleep due to the stress levels,” Riley said. People who are sleep deprived often suffer from acid reflux and sleep apnea as well.

“Students who always have a cold are most likely not sleeping enough,” Riley said. “It can’t happen overnight, but prolonged stress rate and lack of sleep will have a cumulative affect on [immune system].”

Exercising regularly and avoiding heavily greasy foods near bedtime will also help in achieving a rested sleep. As long as exercise isn’t too close to when you decide your bedtime will be, it will help the body relax, Riley said. Sleep apnea is also more prone to those who are overweight, because there is a build up of tissue in the throat making it difficult to sleep.

In a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 29 percent of respondents have fallen asleep or become sleepy while on the job, 36 percent have nodded off while driving and 20 percent have lost interest in sex all due to lack of sleep.

In fact, drowsy drivers have made up at least 100,000 driving accidents, Dalsing said.

There are a lot of factors that can hinder one’s ability to get a good night’s rest. Biological reasons, dealing with a lot of stress, lifestyle choices, physical illness or even disabilities, and certain late night clubs or classes.

Getting into a solid sleep routine is a must for students, and other adults, who are struggling with sleep, Dalsing said. Creating a regular sleep pattern of going to bed at the same time, or within an hour of the same time every night, and getting up at the same time will help the body to know when it’s time to sleep.

“Even if you go to bed at midnight, you have a window between 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., if your inconsistent you’ll continue to have sleep problems,” Dalsing said.

Cutting out caffeine and other stimulants that keep you awake around your bedtime will also help to keep a sleep pattern.

Creating the bedroom as a designated sleeping room will help enduce sleep, Dalsing said. Although it can be difficult to keep a room on campus as strictly sleeping space, it is important to study and socialize outside of the bedroom. Keeping the room comfortable, like shutting off computers and music, will only be conducive to sleep.

“People look too quickly to pills to sleep, but we encourage students to make changes in behavior and lifestyle,” Dalsing said.

“We’ve all been there, I was a student myself, I know what it’s like, but by doing things over and over again it becomes a habit, and habits are difficult to break,” Riley said. “Think about what you’re doing to your heart, kidneys, immune system, when you don’t get the sleep you need.”