College students are more likely to be sleep deprived, which increases their risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, a new study finds.
Sleep deprivation has been linked to a series of physical and mental health issues including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety. A new study by researchers from the University of Alabama found that college students are at higher risk of health problems because they're more likely to be sleep deprived. This makes them ignore the benefits of getting a good night's sleep.
"The health benefits of sleep did not factor into students' decisions about whether or not to get adequate sleep," said lead author Dr. Adam Knowlden, in a press statement. "This might suggest the students offset sleep when faced with other activities they deem more important, such as academic coursework or social activities."
The study began in the Spring of 2012 and was conducted on 188 University of Cincinnati college students. The participants listed stress from jobs and lack of time as the two main reasons for their sleep deprivation.
"About 33 percent of the general population receives insufficient sleep versus about 60 percent of the college population," Knowlden said. "One of the main differences is that college students' ability to get sufficient sleep is more within their control, whereas the general adult population is more likely to be dealing with medical sleep disorders."
Researchers also noted that the students were more worried that their lack of sleep would hinder their ability to cope with stress and perform their tasks than the overall ill-effect it had on their health. The students also reported having nighttime environments conducive to sleep, reducing mental and physical stress and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule as factors they believed most important in ensuring sufficient sleep.
"Students may be experiencing a new level of independence and can struggle to find the balance between juggling classes, finances, social lives, athletics, volunteer work, parental expectations and employment. While most students see sleep in a positive light, most are unaware of practices that can improve their sleep," Knowlden said. "Learning how to manage time and finances, for example, are two key ways to help students reduce stress."
A very recent study highlighted yet again that lack of sleep in teens is the main cause of obesity, a growing epidemic in the United States.
"Lack of sleep in your teenage years can stack the deck against you for obesity later in life. Once you're an obese adult, it is much harder to lose weight and keep it off. And the longer you are obese, the greater your risk for health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer," Shakira F. Suglia, ScD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School, said in a press release. "The message for parents is to make sure their teenagers get more than eight hours a night. A good night's sleep does more than help them stay alert in school. It helps them grow into healthy adults."
The findings were published online in the journal Family & Community Health.
