This past week, I made a trip to Dublin, Ireland, where I will be studying abroad for the next three and a half months. My flight departed from JFK at 10:10 p.m. with a scheduled arrival time of 9:40 a.m. Although the experience has been a blast, my lack of sleep from flying overnight made the first day of travel much more difficult and stressful. After a summer with a healthy sleep routine, I was reminded of the value of sleep to a productive day and positive mood.
The jet lag gave me inspiration to issue out this early semester advice to Duke students, particularly incoming freshmen: get your sleep! Personally, I have made sleep a priority throughout college and firmly believe that my habits have been advantageous to my health, perspective and academic performance.
For many first-years, Orientation Week introduced a completely new lifestyle filled with independence, constant socializing and partying. Although it’s normal to let loose during this time, it’s important to make the transition into prioritizing academics and budgeting your time wisely as schoolwork and other obligations pile up. Prioritizing your sleep routine is a major component to making sure you succeed in all facets of life at Duke.
Some students find that social pressure will lead to FOMO (fear of missing out), and thus, they feel compelled to stay out late and go to Shooters when they are tired or have other important tasks. Others will simply budget their time poorly and lose sleep over completing assignments at the last minute. At a university like Duke, a lack of sleep will only build on the stress that comes with adapting to college life.
Interestingly, college students aren’t alone when it comes to unhealthy sleep habits. The CDC estimates that one in three U.S. adults do not get enough sleep on a regular basis. To optimize health, cognitive performance and well-being, at least seven hours of sleep is recommended per night. Sleeping less than this increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, frequent mental distress and other chronic conditions.
Recent studies have demonstrated that risks might be even greater than we once thought. A study presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference suggested that people who got less than six hours of sleep per night or woke up frequently had about 27 percent more atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries that can lead to many other cardiovascular problems. Another study shared at the conference indicated that middle-aged men who slept five hours or less per night had double the risk of having a major cardiovascular event than those who slept seven or eight hours.
College students, however, are among the worst at getting adequate sleep. The University of Georgia reports that college students average only 6-6.9 hours of sleep per night. As young people, it is very possible that we are not focused enough on the long term to take these negative impacts on our health seriously, especially when we feel like we have an abundant amount of energy now. Thus, adequate sleep may not seem like a priority, and since the detrimental health effects appear to be more long term, we may not consider the total influence of our habits as they compound over time.
There are also studies that have focused on the sleep patterns in college students specifically, and the results are somewhat alarming. A study from June 2017 found that college students who had an inconsistent wake up routine were more likely to have lower grades. Using a regularity index from 0 to 100 (with 100 being the most regular sleepers), the researchers found that for every score increase of 10 on the index, a student had an average increase of .10 on their GPA. The consistency in our sleep habits influences our circadian rhythm, which in turn helps keep time for many other biological functions.
Sleep helps facilitate learning and memory by organizing our experiences from the day. Furthermore, it allows our brains to get rid of irrelevant information as well as draw connections between memory and information. This is why it always recommended to break up study time for an upcoming exam rather than cram the night before.
So, how do we eradicate our bad habits? Duke Human Resources recommends regular exercise, relaxing and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, large meals and smoking around bedtime. It’s important to establish a regular sleep schedule, especially early in the semester when you start to develop a routine.
Of course, no one is saying that you should give up your social life. However, sticking to your routine within reason will better prepare you for success.
For those of you new to Duke, it is very likely that you find balancing your health, social life, and academics challenging, especially if you come from a background of being dependent on others. If you want to get the edge in class and keep a positive attitude, eight hours a night is all it takes.
Mitchell Siegel is a trinity junior. His column Truth Be Told runs monthly on Wednesdays.
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Mitchell Siegel is a Trinity sophomore. His column, "truth be told," runs on alternate Wednesdays.