The importance of sleep has fallen to the bottom of the priority list for many Sacramento State students because of unmanageable workloads they create for themselves. Because of these unrealistic schedules, sleep deprivation becomes an epidemic.

Lori Roberto, health psychologist at Sac State who previously worked in a sleep disorders center, said sleep is a fundamental need.

“There are emotional and physical side effects. It affects cognitive abilities, (which are) the abilities to process information, and sleep also effects memory,” Roberto said.

Carmen Stitt, professor of communication studies at Sac State, said that the effects of sleep deprivation are evident in many of her students.

“Students’ lack of sleep usually shows up in their ability to concentrate in class, (their) reduced attention and comprehension, oversleeping and coming in late to class, or completely missing class,” Stitt said.

Stitt said she has suffered from sleep deprivation in the past, so she understands where the students are coming from.

“When I have too much on my plate, I wake up at night thinking about the work I have to do,” she said. “I wake up the next morning feeling irritable and then I feel restless for the remainder of the day. Not good for me or anyone around me.”

Stitt said in order to avoid these sleepless nights, she does not take on responsibilities she knows she cannot deal with, which results in a workload she is fully capable of handling.

Additionally, she said she tries to follow similar sleep patterns daily and to isolate the bedroom as a relaxing place. She said that, due to a recent increase in technology, people are continuously connected to others throughout the day. Stiff suggests people unplug from these electronic media devices, which include cell phones, televisions and computers, for at least an hour before bed.

Roberto said the correct amount of sleep necessary for individuals may vary, but most people need between seven and eight hours of sleep every night. She said in order to receive an effective night’s rest, the individual must experience the full cycle of sleep.

Roberto said this cycle includes the beginning stages of sleep in which the individual is more awake. She said the individual should then fall into a deeper sleep and, eventually, that person should fall into the Rapid Eye Movement cycle of sleep.

Roberto said dreaming occurs during the REM cycle. During this cycle, the brain is most active and looks most like the awake brain. Roberto said the unusual part of REM sleep is that while the brain is active, the body is essentially paralyzed.

Roberto said these cycles occur periodically throughout the night and are only interrupted by periods of arousal in which the individual returns to the beginning, more awake stages of sleep. She said these are the cycles of sleep that many students miss out on if they do not receive a sufficient amount of rest nightly.

“Some people get used to a lack of sleep and experience the sensation of getting through it, but most people who aren’t naturally short sleepers will eventually make up for the lack of sleep, whether it’s on the weekend, a nap, or consuming substances like caffeine,” Roberto said.

Roberto said naps can be productive and helpful for an individual’s well-being, but the nap must be taken correctly.

“Typically, shorter naps are recommended (around 20-30 minutes). Longer naps make most people even more groggy because it enables them to fall into a deeper sleep. Also, naps taken late in the day can interfere with a person’s sleep later that night,” Roberto said.

Roberto said it is important that individuals do not stress over sleep. She said it won’t hurt anyone to take an occasional long nap, but making it a routine will disturb a person’s sleep pattern.

“Many students suffer from sleep disorders because they tend to sleep in irregular chunks, probably because they have ever-changing schedules,” Roberto said.

Melissa Van Hooser, junior public relations major, said she has an irregular sleep pattern.

Van Hooser said she attends classes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., works from 5 to 10 p.m. and then goes to the gym from 11 p.m. to midnight daily. This schedule has been difficult for Van Hooser to manage. She said that after arriving home at midnight, there is barely enough time to study, let alone sleep.

Van Hooser, who believes she suffers from insomnia, said she dreads going to sleep at night because she feels pressured to get a good night’s sleep. She said this pressure to sleep causes anxiety and, instead of being relaxed during bedtime, she is a nervous wreck.

Roberto said there are different kinds of insomnia: not being able to fall asleep, not being able to stay asleep during the night, and waking up too early.

Van Hooser said it takes her approximately 3 or 4 hours to fall asleep each night.

“Sleep has become something I need to schedule into my life instead of something that comes instinctively and when I can’t perform, I freeze up and that is where the root of my insomnia comes (from),” Van Hooser said.

Roberto said routine is the key to maintaining a healthy night’s rest. She said many students are under the impression that they have an on and off switch. She said they expect they can maintain a non-stop busy day and then suddenly turn the switch off and go to bed.

“I often ask people, ‘How do you put a child to bed? Do you just drop them in bed and tell them to go to sleep?’ These people say, ‘No! I have to go through a whole process to get them tired.’ Like children, adults need a routine in which they prepare themselves for bed,” Roberto said.

Roberto said ‘sleep hygiene’ can affect an individual’s sleep as well. She said this includes a limited amount of substances such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Roberto said moderation is the key to everything in life, therefore people should manage a balanced diet and a reasonable exercise plan.

In the bedroom, Roberto said individuals should limit noise, manage room temperature, improve air quality, limit light, and improve bed comfort.

Roberto said this perfect, comfortable, sleeping situation is difficult for many college students because they may have to deal with loud roommates among other annoyances. She said although this aspect may be beyond their control, they can still attempt to manage the other factors associated with ‘sleep hygiene’ and ultimately receive an effective night of sleep.

Katrina Tupper can be reached at [email protected]