This is why you can’t sleep at night

Here’s a fact of life: college kids need more sleep.

We simply don’t get enough. It inevitably results from staying up all night working on projects, assignments and studying for exams, often as a consequence of procrastination.

Rutgers student Jimmy Palmer said: “Last year, and the year before, I didn’t get enough sleep. This was the result of mismanaging my studies. The main solution was to take large doses of caffeine.”

We’re all pretty much wired the same way. I rarely get enough sleep as a result of disorganization of school work. We overcompensate with caffeine consumption.

College caffeine frenzy

In the morning, we drink coffee to essentially replace the overwhelming sense of drowsiness with hyper jittery alertness.

Procrastination is the culprit

The main culprit in this equation of staying up late is procrastination. My work isn’t due for awhile, so why do it now? I have time to watch some TV or YouTube videos. I can also check social media for awhile. Our society is plugged in – everyone is connected to their smartphones and laptops at all times, even at night.

The science of the blue light

Science tells us exposure to blue light from screens inhibits the release of melatonin, a hormone associated with sleepiness and reduced alertness.

Exposure to an excessive amount of blue light will throw off our circadian rhythm. And it’s a vicious cycle – we fall asleep later each night and have more trouble waking up every morning.

Addicting electronics

Lets face it: checking our smartphones and laptops is an incredibly impulsive and addictive tendency. It happens everywhere. You see everyone glued to their phones on the Rutgers buses. You see people on their laptops in class (because we all know every student is diligently taking notes). Even in the library, everyone who is on a laptop or desktop is on YouTube or Facebook.

An overworked culture

We’re also living in a culture where people are overworked. Some people even work 60 or 70 hours a week.

But there are steps we can take to overcome this type of adversity and unplug.

How to fix it

First of all, stick to a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Try to avoid your electronics before bed.

Manage your stress by organizing and setting your priorities. Give yourself a break every once in a while.