My name is Alyssa Titong and I would like to introduce myself as Skyline’s new “fix-it girl.” I know everybody has problems. However, as human beings, each day can be hectic for us and we tend to keep problems buried, therefore avoiding them. As a new column in the features section of The Skyline View, “Get Your Fix” will be a column on common problems that people face everyday. Every issue containing “Get Your Fix” will pose a problem such as sleep deprivation, and state possible solutions. We all have problems and maybe we do not like sharing them, but if one problem can be fixed, that leaves one less to think about. So with any questions, concerns, suggestions or comments about the column contact the Skyline View Staff by giving us a call at (650) 738-4377 or check us out at www.theskylineview.com.

Restlessness. Exhaustion. Crankiness. Even procrastination. These are all characteristics of sleep deprivation.

One problem that college students have always had is getting sufficient amounts of sleep, probably due to the inability to time manage day-to-day tasks. Occasional sleepless nights do not impose a deadly threat to a student’s well-being, however there can be serious repercussions. Some examples could be incomplete assignments, increasing mood swings, and a lack of effort put into any project or activity.

So, what are some causes that sleep deprivation stems from in college students’ lives? What effects does sleep deprivation really have on a college student? How can sleep deprivation be resolved?

College students like Farah Sheikh attribute lack of sleep to lack of organization. Sleep is extremely important, and the only way to get it is to “stay on top of things.” According to Sheikh, sleep deprivation leads to the issue of time management and organization, which leads to more sleep deprivation.

Language arts tutor Larry Coms sees students losing focus towards the end of the semester.

“Students have a difficulty reacting to what I say,” Coms said. “The way that the classes are arranged, most of the test and assignments are set at the same time and students put off their work until the end.”

Procrastination will inevitably lead to lack of sleep and restlessness. Students put off their work to the very last moment and suffer as they struggle to complete their assignments.

“Studies have shown that people not getting enough sleep is going to have a detrimental affect on their performance or level of functioning,” according to Skyline counselor Bobbi Emel. She also mentions that lack of sleep will impair the quality of work and be detrimental to the body as well.

Take it from a person who keeps on task. Full-time student Kevin Hall has an average of eight to nine hours of sleep every night in comparison to some students who might only get a maximum of three hours. Aside from being a student, he also works part-time in Skyline’s bookstore, showing that it is not impossible to find time to rejuvenate, even with a busy schedule.

Hall credits his priority management to the fact that he never takes naps and establishes a sleeping pattern, which allows him to lay out his tasks.

Skyline’s go-to coffee man Phil Jolley offers more than just caffeine to help resolve sleep deprivation. Jolley never pulled an all-nighter in college, and he advises students to work on better time and stress management, and also to, “keep a close watch on caffeine and sugar intake, and have a regular [sleep] routine” so they also can avoid stressful cramming sessions.

“If you don’t sleep at the same time every night, your body can’t adjust to different kinds of sleep,” he said.

An effective plan for students according to Emel is “getting started on assignments when you get them,” and Hall advises to avoid “procrastinating and leaving yourself at the edge of studying.”

40% of adults are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with their daily activities.18% experience this level of daytime sleepiness at least a few days a week.56% of adults in the U.S. report one or more symptoms of insomnia a few nights a week.62% of adults who experience frequent difficulty in sleeping say they are concerned.Source: Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic