Why Sleep Matters for College Students

If you’re a college student, chances are you’re sleep deprived or not getting enough quality sleep. But sleep really matters. And this is especially true if you play sports in school, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Results from a preliminary report found that poor sleep can lead to an increased risk of substance abuse among college athletes. 

Students with sleep difficulties were found to be: 

• 151 percent more likely to use cigarettes
• 36 percent more likely to drink alcohol
• 66 percent more likely to smoke marijuana
• 317 percent more likely to use methamphetamine
• 349 percent more likely to use cocaine
• 175 percent more likely to use steroids

"Across the board, students with sleep difficulties were more likely to smoke, drink, and use illegal substances,” said senior author Michael Grander, PhD, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. 

In yet another recent sleep study, called the "SNAPSHOT study," researchers found that keeping a regular sleep pattern contributes to the happiness and well-being of college students.

"We found that week-long irregular sleep schedules are significantly associated with lower self-reported morning and evening happiness, healthiness, and calmness during the week even after controlling for weekly average sleep duration," said lead author Akane Sano, PhD, research scientist in the Media Lab Affective Computing Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

More Reasons to Prioritize Sleep

Indeed, lack of sleep has been linked with a bunch of physical and emotional health risks, including

• Lowered immune system
• Feeling more stressed out
• Increased weight gain and obesity
• Lower GPA and decreased academic performance
• Increased mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety
• Increased automobile accidents due to fatigue caused by “drowsy driving”
• Decreased performance in athletics and other activities that require coordination

Healthy Possibilities
When you choose Hope Academy's rehab, you open the possibility for a whole new life. And, perhaps the best part, you don’t have to leave college behind or put career preparation on hold. We offer vocational training, college prep, and sobriety college options that allow you to pursue your dreams while you get clean. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673. 

Why You Need Sleep (And How to Get More)

Getting solid slumber is super important, but with the pressures of recovery, school and spending time with family — among countless other things — sleep often takes a back seat. 

But a lack of adequate, restorative sleep can interfere with your long-term sobriety as well as any school or job endeavors. It can cause “fuzzy” thinking (common in early recovery), anxiety, depressed mood and poor emotional control. 

• You'll learn less. Without adequate sleep, your brain has a harder time absorbing and recalling new information. 
• You'll stress more. Sleep deprivation increases stress levels and also adversely impacts your immune system, making you more likely to get colds/flu.
• You’ll eat more. When you don’t sleep, your body can produce higher peaks of a lipid in our bloodstream called endocannabinoid, which makes eating more pleasurable.

Quick Sleep Fixes

Try these tips to break your bad sleep habits once and for all.

Take a nap. While naps don’t necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime sleep, a short nap of 20 to 30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And you’ll be in good company: Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison are all said to have valued an afternoon snooze. 

Stop sleeping in on the weekends. Sticking to a bedtime and wake schedule, even on weekends, helps regulate your body's clock so you can fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.

Make exercise a habit. Sure, exercise seems to be the catchall for better health, but it really does impact your sleep, too. Young athletes were shown to have better sleep patterns and more daytime alertness than peers who exercised significantly less, even if they slept the same amount, according to one study.

Pay attention to your body. Ask yourself the following questions to determine how many hours of sleep your body needs, suggest the NSF. 

• Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep? 
• Or does it take you nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear?
• Do you have health issues such as being overweight? Are you at risk for any disease?
• Are you experiencing sleep problems?
• Do you depend on caffeine to get you through the day?
• Do you feel sleepy when driving?

Study Skills, Life Skills and More
When you choose Hope Academy's rehab, you open the possibility for a whole new life. Our program includes job prep and college admissions along with drug and alcohol treatment. To learn more, call today: 866-930-467.