Sleep is an important physiological process that is essential for human survival. Indeed, sleep is crucial for learning, performance, and physical and mental health. Many Nigerian students deprive of sleep all in a bid to study at night. They tend to be nocturnal in nature especially as it affords them a more conducive studying environment but these tendencies have often led to students experiencing erratic sleep schedules, poor sleep hygiene, and correspondingly poor sleep quality, which might affect their performance. The consequences of sleep deprivation are especially problematic to students and can result in lower grade point averages, increased risk of academic failure, compromised learning, impaired mood, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.
This review looks at the effect of sleep deprivation among Nigerian students. The impact of sleep and sleep disorders on academics, grade point average, driving, and mood will be examined. Most importantly, effective and viable interventions to decrease sleepiness and sleep deprivation through
Poorer Grades:
Empirical studies have shown that students who often get C’s, D’s, and F’s usually sleep 25 minutes less and went to bed about 40 minutes later than the students who reported were getting A’s and B’s. Studies have shown that students should be getting roughly 9 hours of sleep each day. Therefore, students that don’t get 8-10 hours of sleep, lose their ability to succeed dramatically. Students will have trouble learning and processing information, coping with stress, and staying focused at school.

Increased risk of academic failure:
Students with sleep disorders probably do not achieve optimal academic performance. A higher percentage of students at risk for academic failure screened positive for other sleep disorders including periodic limb movement disorder/restless legs syndrome, insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, and hypersomnia. Although many students have a nocturnal preference, this preference can progress to delayed sleep-phase disorder (DSPD), a circadian rhythm disorder characterized by sleep-onset insomnia and difficulty waking at the desired time. Consequences of DSPD may include missed morning classes, increased sleepiness, and decreased concentration, especially in morning classes thereby affecting their overall academic performance.

Impaired mood:
Depression and sleep are interrelated. A cardinal feature of depression is disturbed sleep. An increasing percentage of Nigerian students suffer from depression and suicidal ideation. Insufficient sleep can increase depressive symptoms. Irregular sleep schedules have been associated with greater depressive symptoms. Prolonged sleep latency was associated with loss of pleasure, punishment feelings, and self-dislike.

Health Decline:
Prolonged lack of sleep can leave you vulnerable to viruses that cause common colds or the flu, and therefore, increase the likelihood of getting sick. Also, according to the Health line, if you are a person that sleeps no longer than 5 hours a night, there is a possibility of an increase in blood pressure, which could lead to heart attacks and strokes. There is also a risk of getting type 2 diabetes because sleep deprivation can affect your body’s release of insulin, which is a blood-sugar-lowering hormone.

Weight Increase:
Do you know that your sleep cycle could be the reason why you add those extra pounds? Yes! NHS states that people who sleep less than 7 hours a day are more likely to gain more weight than those who get more than 7 hours. This is because a decrease in sleep quantity leads to a decrease in levels of leptin (the chemical that triggers the feeling of “fullness”) and an over-procurement of ghrelin (the chemical that causes the feeling of hunger). As students, getting sufficient sleep may seem impossible to you. But, the great number of health benefits easily surpass not sleeping.

Solutions
There are many ways to support quality sleep, including counseling, lifestyle and environmental adjustments, medications, and alternative therapies.
Relaxation techniques: Meditation, mindfulness training, breathing exercises, and guided imagery can help reduce tension. Audio recordings and sleep apps can also help.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Known as CBT, this may help a person identify thought patterns that are contributing to limited sleep.

Home care strategies
Changing sleeping habits and the sleep environment can often
• Try going to bed and waking up at the same times every day, even on the weekends, with the goal of establishing a routine.
• Avoiding eating 2–3 hours before bedtime.
• After trying to fall asleep for 20 minutes, get up and read, then try again later.
• Get regular exercise during the day.
• Keep the bedroom quiet, dark, and cool.
• Turn off electronic devices and keep them away from the sleeping area.
• Limit the consumption of caffeine and alcohol, especially close to bedtime.
• Avoid tobacco use.

Takeaway
Nearly one in four students are at risk for a sleep disorder, therefore, sleep deprivation is a reality with huge attendant consequences. Sleep deprivation has the potency of harming a person’s mental and physical health, their performance at school or work, and their overall quality of life. Therefore, as a student, if you must attain that much-desired academic excellence, you should imbibe a healthy sleep.

Source: www.wincofoam.com

TDB sure pass

After all in all, you will not get a job, you will start from square one and start pursing your uninow career in life


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Night reading is not worth it as a student. Speaking from experience