New College catches some zzz’s

 

For New College students, finals week means late-night studying. Some students take the traditional route of studying in the library, others at coffee shops, and some even have the wherewithal to study for hours in their rooms. On average, students are only getting 6 hours of sleep a night, according to the University Health Center of Georgia. It is recommended that individuals sleep 7-9 hours a night.

According to Harvard University, sleep deprivation leaves people more susceptible to illness and disease, and impairs perception and judgment. Sleep deprivation also inhibits the ability to learn. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and increased chance of mortality.

“I saw a student sleeping under the desk in the Mac Lab last week,” second-year Sarah Courson said.

It is not uncommon to see New College students doing work into the late hours of the night at places such as the Jane Bancroft Cook library that is open until 1 a.m. during finals. Other spots include the Mac Lab and Perkins diner, which are both open 24/7, and Big E’s which closes at 1 a.m.

According to the Harvard University Newsletter, a way to try to catch up on some extra sleep, contrary to popular belief, is to take 20-30 minute naps in cool, dark spaces. It is better to take shorter naps, because longer naps lead to grogginess. Another aspect of nap-taking that was suggested was timed caffeine intake. If a person consumes caffeine right before their short nap, the caffeine is absorbed during sleep and the person wakes up feeling energized.

 

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/napping-may-not-be-such-a-no-no

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences

https://www.uhs.uga.edu/sleep/

http://www.fit.edu/caps/documents/SleepandCollegeLife.pdf

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