World Sleep Day
The Annual World Sleep Day will be held this year on March 16, which is hosted by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society.
The World Sleep Day Committee organizes the annual event to bring importance to many aspects of sleep that go regularly unnoticed such as medicine, education, driving, and social aspects. The event originated in 2007. Since its initial start, more than 70 countries now participate in World Sleep Day.
The overall mission of annual sleep day is to decrease the worries of sleep problems in society by providing better information on sleep disorders which will lead to better prevention and management.
Sleep is a necessity for college students, although most students do not realize its importance. The recommended amount of hours for a good night’s sleep is 8 hours, according to the University Health Center at the University of Georgia.
“I find sleep very important because it allows you to maintain your physical and mental health while also allowing your body and mind to function in a normal manner,” Kayla Butts ‘18 explained.
In a study done by the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, only 11 percent of American college students sleep well. In addition, only 40 percent of American college students feel well rested for only two days out of the week.
“Unfortunately as a college student, I, like many others, find myself struggling to get enough sleep. Balancing school work, a job, extracurricular activities and resumè builders like sports, clubs and volunteering, as well as family and friends, all while trying to get enough sleep as possible. Something usually has to give and all too often it is sleep,” Butts added.
Sleeping is very important. The study at Harvard also goes on to mention that inadequate sleep affects the brain’s ability to receive factual information and procedural memories. Due to the brain’s inability to function properly while running on a lack of sleep, people are not able to function and remember how to do physical tasks.
“For me as a college student, I find myself not getting enough sleep due to homework. There are many nights that I am up past midnight making sure all my work is done. When I don’t get enough sleep, I have a very hard time concentrating in class,” Amanda Wimmer ‘19 commented.
Although, we may not think of sleep as an important aspect, our bodies are able to function better when they have been properly rested. So while the upcoming stress of midterms is upon us, let’s take an initiative to make time to get an adequate amount of sleep.