Are you getting enough sleep?

There seems to be a trend going around campus that involves droopy eyes, head nodding, and dozing off in class.

Finals week is still a ways down the road, yet students all over campus are already experiencing exhaustion from sleep deprivation. This is prominently due to the fact that California State University Long Beach is filled with students who are trying to balance school, work, and a social life. Sadly, one of the first sacrifices while living the busy college life is sleep.

Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D., sleep specialist for Mayo Clinic, recommends adults to get about 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day.

Take a break and have a nap

It is very important for students to take time out of their busy day to get the proper amount of rest. As mentioned by Michael J. Brews Ph.D., clinical psychologist, the lack of sleep leads to many health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and mental impairment. Not to mention the fact that sleep deprivation causes one to be drowsy. When drowsiness comes into play, individuals put themselves and others at risk when getting behind the wheel of a car, or operating any heavy machinery for that matter. Sleep is much more important than people might think.

Another convenient spot for some shut-eye

 

We should all be striving to get our recommended hours of snooze time. Conveniently, on campus there are a few popular spots where students can play catch up on missed hours of sleep. The first floor of the USU has several lounge areas with cozy chairs just waiting to be sat on. In between classes, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for students to take a break and enjoy a short or long nap. “I often see two or three people crashed out on the chairs” said Jake Macrae, kinesiology major and ASI employee, “Even when it is packed out in here, people don’t care.”