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HEALTH
MONDAY n MAY 5, 2014 Study habits
Increasing sleep deprivation rates harm students’ health Eastan Croson Health and Fitness Editor ecroson@smu.edu An estimated 33 percent of college students get sufficient sleep while school is in session— meaning the majority of student are sleep deprived. But if students don’t snooze, they could lose more than they would expect. Here is the truth about what happens to the body when one doesn’t get enough sleep, starting from the first night. Students are no strangers to sacrificing sleep. As the semester comes to a close, all-nighters and late-night study sessions are common practices for many. College students facing finals often rely on a stash of Red Bull and other stimulants to make it through the final stretch of classes. But the best study habits include adequate sleep. There are many causes of sleep deprivation, but these are the most common among college students: • Stress and anxiety • ADD or ADHD medication, alcohol and/ or drug abuse • All-night studying • Interrupted sleep and eating patterns No surprise that staying up all night studying for exams often hurts more than it helps. Students surrendering beauty sleep to cram
for tests often find the facts and figures they could remember at 2 a.m. can’t be remembered the next day. Sleep deprivation impacts cognitive function, and without adequate rest, the brain becomes foggy hindering fine motor skills and worsening judgement. Those who lose sleep also risk losing their mind and their health. Sleep deprivation not only leads to memory loss, but it also puts students at greater risk for a number of health problems such as heart disease and obesity. Even short-term sleep deprivation is linked to signs of brain tissue loss. After one night of sleep deprivation people are hungrier and apt to eat more. Research has linked short-term sleep deprivation with a propensity to load up on larger portions as well as have a greater preference for highcalorie, high-carb foods. After all-nighters people are more likely to choose unhealthy foods while grocery shopping. Beauty sleep is actually a real thing — even short-term sleep loss can have anyone not looking their best. A small study published last year in the journal SLEEP found that sleep deprived participants were rated as less attractive. People are also more likely to have accidents and catch a cold after one night of inadequate
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sleep. Getting six or fewer hours of rest each night triples the risk of driving accidents according to the National Sleep Foundation’s Drowsydriving.org. Lack of sleep can make one more clumsy in general, regardless of being behind the wheel or not. Not getting enough shut-eye can also increase the likelihood of catching a cold. Proper rest is essential for building a healthy immune system. A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that sleeping fewer than seven hours a night was linked to a tripled risk of coming down with a cold. Sleep loss over long periods of time wreak havoc on the body from head to toe. The risk of stroke quadruples and other studies have linked lack of sleep to both colorectal and aggressive breast cancers. Many studies have suggested a relationship between chronic sleep deprivation and an increased risk of diabetes as well. Long-term sleep loss also jumps the risk of obesity. Short-term sleep loss not only leads to increased caloric consumption, but multiple studies have also suggested a link between chronic sleep deprivation and increased obesity risk over time. A study published in the American Journal of Human Biology showed that little sleep
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The majority of college students are sleep deprived while school is in session.
was connected to changes in appetite regulation. Chronic sleep deprivation is also associated with high blood pressure, high amounts cholesterol in arteries, heart failure and heart attacked according to Harvard Health Publications. Lack of sleep is also tied to mental health issues. Young people that experience depression and anxiety almost always report having a sleep problem as well. Those who aren’t getting enough shuteye are also more likely to be emotional and are viewed as being more unapproachable. A SLEEP study evaluating 1,741 men and women over 10 to 14 years old found that men who slept fewer than six hours had a significant increase in mortality risk, even after adjusting for diabetes, hypertension and other factors. It’s no secret that a good night’s sleep can make anyone feel better. Adequate sleep gives the body time to recharge, but it is also crucial for the brain’s ability to learn and recall information. Sleeping for eight hours
triggers changes in the brain that improve memory and before a test makes the brain remember information that was recently learned before a test. Some studies have shown that students getting adequate sleep receive a full letter grade higher than students who are chronically sleep deprived. The body needs regulated sleep and rest in order to run properly. College students often struggle with getting enough sleep, even when they try to obtain adequate amounts. So why are students still awake when they should be resting? Assignment deadlines and constantly being surrounded by various kinds of stimulation keep young people up at night. Ditching the TV at night and turning off phones and computers can help one get the most out of the sleep they get. Sleeping with the TV on disrupts sleep cycles, and messing with phones and computers before bed can make falling asleep more difficult. Regularity is key for a healthier sleep schedule. Setting a bedtime routine can help one
Courtesy of sterling-academy.org
fall asleep faster. This routine doesn’t have to be anything complicated — reading for 20 to 30 minutes before bed or taking a hot bath before bedtime are both excellent routines that help tell the body when it’s time for rest. Avoid taking stimulants, drinking caffeine and alcohol, and eating food three to four hours before trying to sleep. Alcohol also messes with sleep cycles, so skip on the booze and sleep sober in order to get more quality sleep. Taking short power naps during the day can also help one get more sleep. Students who have an hour or two between classes could use that time to rest to help make up for lost sleep. Also make sure that the area where one try to sleep is dark, comfortable and quiet. Wearing ear-plugs can help reduce noise and induce sleep. Taking these steps will easily get the body back on track. Sleeping at regular times each night can work wonders for students, especially during finals week. Those who treat the body well will be treated well by the body.
fitness
Dallasites skeptical about city being bike-friendly karly hanson kdhanson@smu.edu Contributing Writer A collapsed lung, a broken left humerus, some broken ribs, two nights in the Baylor University Medical Center, and a fourmonth recovery period. In late March of 2013, Bruce Levy, an English professor at SMU, was hit by a van while cycling around White Rock Lake. “This guy just barreled into me,” Levy said. “It was scary.” By July of that same year, Levy was back on his bike exploring North Texas with the wind blowing through his hair, passing by the bluebonnets sprouting up along the rolling hills. “I like the wind blowing, the movement, the speed, the terrain,” he said. “It’s a great way to see North Texas and beyond.” Despite his passion for the sport, Levy is skeptical about whether or not Dallas can truly become a safe and welcoming environment for bikes. Levy said that the driver who hit him wasn’t punished, so he thinks penalties for hitting cyclists need to be more severe and better enforced before people can feel safe riding in the city. Dallas is in the midst of developing the Dallas Bikeway System, which as part of the 2011 Dallas Bike Plan, was created in order to “improve the safety, use and efficiency of the bicycle.” Several projects are underway, some expected to open this summer and others in a few years, but many cyclists are not happy with the progress of the plan. “Dallas is not a bike-friendly city, though they’re trying,” Levy said. “I’m lucky I live close to White Rock Lake. “Most of the trails already in place are concentrated in North Dallas, near White Rock Lake, including the 7.6 mile White Rock Creek Trail. The Dallas City Council is
divided over the bike plan, too: some members don’t see the bike plan as that big of a priority. Others are concerned about the cost. The plan is estimated to cost close to $200 million. There are 18 miles of on-street infrastructure and 125 miles of the trail system completed. When the Dallas Bikeway System is complete, there will be 280 miles of trails, and 840 miles of on-street “facilities,” which are structures like dedicated bike lanes, separated bike lanes and shared lanes between vehicles and bikes. The total system will be 1,100 miles throughout Dallas County and the edge of Collin County where the two overlap. Many people living in Dallas see the city as largely designed for car transportation. If there were available alternatives, however, some may gladly switch to commuting by bike. “We want to give people options. Right now there is no other option but to drive, so streets are so congested,” said Jared White, Bicycle Transportation Manager at city hall. “Hopefully they’ll take the opportunity the Bikeway System will give them to change that.” White says that while they have support and approval for the projects, they are not yet fully funded. Right now, 44 miles of the trail system is either under construction or has funding allocated for construction to begin, much of it along the Trinity River. Some of the on-street infrastructure projects are still awaiting funding and may require approval by residents, which could delay their construction. In an attempt to expedite the development of cycling infrastructure, Council Member Philip Kingston, representing District 14 which includes Uptown, lower Greenville and parts of Deep Ellum, created a citizen bike task force that is targeting the implementation of a bike share
program, trail connections and the acceleration of buffered bike lanes. Sharrows, lane markings that indicate to drivers where cyclists will operate on streets, like the ones connecting the Santa Fe Trail with the Katy Trail through Main Street, were the first onstreet “facilites” put in place. In order to create dedicated bike lines or curbed-off bike lanes, the city staff must request a Thoroughfare Amendment to get permission to change the Dallas Thoroughfare Plan. Until the community is on board, the city cannot start construction on any streets, and depending on the public’s reaction, White said the process could take a few months. But a lot of cyclists are not convinced that bike lanes are the most effective, or the safest form of bicycle-friendly infrastructure. Scot Montague, an avid cyclist and facilities manager of Dedman College at SMU, said that cyclists do not feel safe in lanes off to the side of the road. In order for bike infrastructure to be effective, it needs to be separate from the lanes designated for vehicles, like the bike system in the Netherlands. Mike Freiberger, board member of Bike DFW, said that in addition to separated lanes being in place for cyclists, people also need to learn how to properly and safely ride bikes in traffic. He said there are plenty of people who want to commute to work by bike, but are hesitant because they do not have the skills necessary to safely do so on Dallas streets, and the infrastructure is not there to reassure them. Bike DFW offers classes for adult cyclists interested in developing skills useful for riding in traffic and commuting to work, such as route planning and crash avoidance techniques. “When you boil it all down, you have a very car-centric infrastructure that does not encourage people who are interested but tentative to do anything but drive their car,” Freiberger said.