According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people between the ages of 18-36 need at least seven hours of sleep each night, but about a third of Americans are not getting the amount of sleep they need. Some people think they can get by just fine on less than seven hours of sleep, but only 1% of the population are ‘short sleepers.’ This means they can make due on only 4-6 hours of sleep without retaining health consequences. 

People might know they need more sleep, but not everyone knows how bad that lack of sleep really is for them. It is common to hear people say, “I’m fine; I’m just tired,” or “I went to bed so late last night.” In reality, few of us actually think about what this is doing to our health. 

Insufficient sleep has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Lack of sleep also weakens your immune system and can make you more susceptible to obtaining viruses like the cold. 

Getting more sleep improves not just your physical health, but your mental health. Laurie Santos is a psychologist that teaches a class on happiness at Yale University. In her podcast called “The Happiness Lab”, she said the number one thing she recommends to someone trying to increase their happiness is to get more sleep. “For every hour of sleep you lose, your risk of psychological distress goes up 14%,” said Santos. 

Losing one hour of sleep makes a big impact, yet we rarely value it as such. The shocking impact of even one hour of sleep is precisely why it is essential that college students start realizing the true impact of their sleep deprivation. The repercussions of not sleeping at night go far beyond falling asleep in class.

Seven out of ten college students don’t get enough sleep, which has a myriad of negative consequences. Sleep has been proven to aid in concentration and cognitive function, and a lack of it is associated with depression and has been found to lower GPA. 
Getting sufficient sleep every night makes a positive impact even if only in a small way. It could improve your school performance and grades, boost your mood and mental health state and increase your productivity. 

For a college student, these are all essential aspects of success, so getting the sleep you need should be a top priority. 
There are resources on campus where students can get help with sleep. Humans experience a natural decline in energy around two in the afternoon, which is not a great time to feel tired if you have classes all day. If you find yourself lacking energy, there is a nap room in the Duck Nest where staff and students can go and get a little shut eye to revitalize. 

The Duck Nest has sleep kits, which contain items like sleep masks and various calming teas to help you fall asleep. 
Sleep is incredibly important for our mental and physical health. Once we start to recognize the true detriment of sleep deprivation, we can focus on getting that extra hour of sleep each night and be a whole lot happier and healthier because of it.