Sleep deprived students try to make the grade

By Haewan Addis
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

It's 8 a.m. and students are sluggishly pouring their way into a small lower-campus classroom. Some faces have enthusiastic grins showcasing their eagerness to start another day.

However, most students walk in with heavy eyes and a cup of coffee.

Senior Aida Morrow, with only three hours of sleep, makes her way to her usual desk.

"I'm so exhausted. I interned all weekend and then studied for a huge midterm all night," Morrow said.

Morrow, like many students, goes to school full time and interns.

"There is so much competition in the real world. I intern for the Los Angeles Clippers and a public relations firm to set myself above the rest. I'm graduating this spring, and I want to be able to start my career right away."

This scenario is not uncommon, and the effects of this lifestyle are leaving students sleep deprived. Jeopardizing their health and performance, students are willing to sacrifice a few hours of sleep to study, work and intern.

Unfortunately, many students are not aware of the consequences of sleep deprivation.

"Sleep deprivation induces significant reductions in performance and alertness. Reducing your sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32 percent," Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., a diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicines, said.

Breus states that decreased alertness can weaken ones memory and ability to think and process information. With so much on their plate, students are decreasing the quality of their work by increasing the quantity.

Students are also putting their life at risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities a year result from people falling asleep at the wheel.

"I was driving home from work one night when I fell asleep and crashed into a wall. All I remember was driving in the far-left lane of the 405 freeway when I started to get sleepy," CSULB graduate Vincent Lazo said.

Unaware that he had fallen asleep and crashed into the wall of an onramp, Lazo woke up 20 minutes later to find himself in his totaled Honda Accord with a highway patrol officer and a concerned commuter outside of his window.

"It was the week of finals, and I had only slept 10 hours in three days. I'm lucky that I lost my car and not my life."

Shift work is another problem of students. Serving at restaurants and retail sales positions are common college student jobs that require unpredictable shifts that vary from week to week.

With school, homework, work and trying to have a social life, how are students supposed to get the recommended eight hours of sleep per day?

"There just aren't enough hours in the day," Morrow chuckles as she leaves campus to go to her internship.