Adequate Sleep at College Is a Precious Commodity - East Idaho News
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Adequate Sleep at College Is a Precious Commodity

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getty 082214 studentsleeping?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1408719132467iStock/Thinkstock(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) — College is a time for classes, studying and socializing, which obviously doesn’t leave much time for snoozing.

In fact, a University of Alabama survey of sleep behaviors and attitudes found that 60 percent of college students aren’t getting enough sleep, compared to a third of the general population, which makes the same claim.

Unlike the rest of America, Dr. Adam Knowlden says that it’s not medical problems that keep most students up, but stress and a lack of time. Meanwhile, the majority don’t consider the health benefits of adequate sleep in their decision to burn the candle at both ends while at school.

Knowlden chalks it up to the feeling of independence young adults experience when they’re away from home. Of course, this makes it more difficult to find the right “balance between juggling classes, finances, social lives, athletics, volunteer work, parental expectations and employment.”

If they want to improve their sleep behaviors, according to Knowlden, students need to reduce stress, which can be done by learning how to better manage time and money.


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