In the midst of all these pressures and demands, many students have difficulty with time management and are often left to try and cheat Mother Nature by, unintentionally, manipulating their sleep cycle. Our sleep cycle is a circadian rhythm: a daily, biologically driven pattern that runs our internal clock and requires consistent restorative sleep. The natural uninterrupted sleep cycle actually consists of four to five repetitive sleep sub-cycles.

One sleep sub-cycle consists of five stages and lasts for about 90 to 120 minutes. Dreams can occur in any of the five stages of sleep but the most vivid and memorable dreams occur in the last stage—commonly referred to as Rapid Eye Movement sleep. Although the sleep cycle usually repeats an average of four to five times per night, a person can have several different dreams in one night. Most people only remember dreams that occur in the morning, shortly before they awaken. Just because you can’t remember those dreams does not mean that they never happened. Some people swear to the fact that they simply do not dream, when in reality they just don’t remember their dreams.

The consequences of disrupting this cycle vary from person to person, but generally can cause some profound effects. You may have a sleep cycle problem if:

• You consistently do not get enough sleep, or the sleep you do get is not restful.

• You struggle to stay awake while driving.

• You have trouble staying awake when doing something passive, such as studying.

• You have problems concentrating at work or at school.

• Friends, or family members, tell you that you are often sleepy.

• You begin to respond to things slowly.

• You have trouble remembering things or have difficulty in controlling your emotions.

• You feel the need to nap several times a day.

Alterations in the sleep cycle often involve one or more situations. Students traveling for a job or co-op interview may find their sleep cycle disrupted by jetlag. More commonly, students are affected by attempts to do more each day and to overcome poor time management. These attempts may include cutting back on activities like exercise and sleep, with the hope of catching up the next day or ultimately skipping sleep and pulling an all-nighter. Unfortunately, many students underestimate the impact of sleep cycle disruptions. In addition to the physical symptoms listed above, recent research has begun to focus on how sleep cycle disruption can reduce academic performance.

Let’s consider the potential impact of a two-hour disruption in the sleep cycle of a student who normally sleeps between 12:00 am and 8:00 am. If this student goes to sleep at 2:00 am and still wakes up at 8:00, they are sleep deprived. To compensate for that loss they may need as much as four hours of extra sleep the next day. In addition to being affected by some of the physical symptoms, recent research has emphasized how this seemingly insignificant two-hour loss affects academic performance.

Because of their time management and work overload problems, students are often in the position of trying to study or to learn new material the night before a test. In many cases, sleep is sacrificed in the hope of getting ready for an exam. Several recent studies have clearly demonstrated that the loss of REM sleep creates a dramatic reduction in the retention of recently learned information. If the sleep cycle is reduced by even two hours, much of what was read or studied earlier that night may be lost. Consequently, learning efficiency is also reduced and grades may be negatively affected by looking for external explanations for doing poorly, such as “the test was too hard,” other factors like poor time management and poor sleep hygiene may be ignored and continue to create academic difficulties.

Although sleeping pills can be a good short-term solution to sleeping difficulties, their continued use may negatively affect the sleep cycle. Other factors that can influence the sleep cycle include disorders like depression that create sleep disturbance and constant worrying. Sleep apnea is a physical disorder that may influence the quality of your sleep. Recent research has shown that excessive time spent on-line and substance abuse often impact sleep schedules.

Becoming a good sleeper involves several factors. Maintaining a relatively consistent sleep schedule is one of the most important factors for good sleep. Going to bed at 2:00 am—when you normally sleep at 12:00—creates a disruption in the sleep pattern for the following night and often leads to attempts to make up for lost sleep (i.e. napping). Another important factor in good sleep is to avoid eating heavy meals just before bedtime and to stay away from caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine for six to eight hours before going to sleep. Regular exercise is helpful, but avoid any high-level activities for a couple of hours before bedtime. Lastly, make sure that you don’t use your bed for any non-sleeping activities. If you use your bed for reading or studying, it will become more difficult to sleep there. Reserve the bed for the only activity it was designed for—sleeping.

Good sleep habits may not only improve your sleep patterns but may also improve your health and your grades. If you have any questions about your sleep habits or feel that you have a sleep-related problem, please call the counseling center at 276-6479 and make an appointment to discuss your concerns.