For those people who suffer from sleeping disorders, getting enough shut-eye could be more than a struggle — it may be an indicator of mental or physical sickness.
Common sleep disorders can be indicators of mental problems such as depression, or physical problems that can endanger a person’s life while sleeping, according to physicians and counselors at the University Health Center.
Dr. Gerald Fleischli, director of the University Health Center, said sleeping disorders are a common problem among University students.
“I might easily see a couple cases a week,” he said, adding there are probably many more students who suffer but don’t seek help.
“A lot of patients don’t come in because they think this is what happens in college; they’re not supposed to sleep well,” he said.
Fleischli said there are many sleeping disorders and some can endanger a person’s life. One of these, sleep apnea, is when people stop breathing during sleep either because their tongues fall in the back of their mouths or because their neck muscles put pressure on the airway during sleep.
“Your brain figures out you’re suffocating and the body wakes up, but you won’t remember it in the morning,” he said.
Fleischli said sleep apnea is more common in older people, but obese people of any age are at risk.
But one disorder, which Fleischli said is common among young adults, is sleep phase disorder in which one’s sleeping patterns are random and change from day to day.
“Most think this is a result of students’ lifestyles,” he said. “College students like to stay up late and party, but this is a misconception.”
He said because students often have early classes on certain days of the week and later ones on other days, students’ sleep patterns are disrupted from day to day.
Fleischli said sleep phase disorder is a developmental process that young people go through early in childhood because school usually starts too early for them.
He said it is best if people regulate their daily body rhythms by going to bed and getting up at the same times every day, including weekends.
“Some students don’t realize sleep is so important to keeping them on the go,” he said.
Ron Miyaguchi, senior staff psychologist at the University Counseling Center, said sleeping problems are often an indicator of depression or an anxiety disorder.
“Sleep disorders are common symptoms, but the big question is a symptom of what,” he said.
He said depression is often under-diagnosed, but differences in one’s appetite and sleep patterns are usually indicators of the disorder. He said insomnia, which causes a person to have trouble falling asleep, can be a symptom of depression.
“If I’m feeling sad it’s easy to overlook, but if I’m laying in bed that’s a little more obvious,” Miyaguchi said, referring to the thought process a person might have.
If a person begins to sleep significantly more or less than usual, that may also be a signal something is wrong, he said. Changes in sleep patterns may also be signals of anxiety disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder.
“A lot depends on the nature of why people can’t sleep,” he said. “If sleeping difficulties become a continuing pattern, it is helpful to seek medical assistance or counseling.”
Miyaguchi said although the counseling center sees several patients whose sleep disorders are caused by mental problems, he said many students don’t seek help because they don’t believe their symptoms are serious enough.
“Most students would want to wait it out, but not being able to sleep should be taken seriously,” he said.
While symptoms of depression may be easier to recognize, the ways sleep disorders affect a person’s physical health are not as noticeable.
But Joanne Baniago, a sophomore biology major, knows the importance of keeping a stable sleeping schedule. She said she has a different class schedule throughout the week but tries to go to bed and get up at the same time each day.
“I’m less tired if I have a daily regime, but if I’m in the middle of homework I won’t go to bed until it’s done,” she said.