Gen-Ys are sleepy, not lazy.

Darting my eyes around the lecture theatre counting…1…2…5…7…12! That’s a record. It was only week 4 of the semester and 12 sleepy soles were already passed out!

I used to think how lazy and rude these students were for nodding off in the middle of the lecture. But then it happened to me. I woke up with a start when everyone trampled out of the lecture, realising I had drool crusted on my chin and coffee spillage down my jeans. Sex Bomb.

Now, lets get one thing straight. It’s not that students can’t be bothered to listen; it’s actually that our minds can’t focus. Juggling full-time uni, co-curricular activities, part time work and social time with friends/family/boyfriend cuts down a lot of valuable night time zzz’s. After 10pm, like quite a few of my friends, I get into serious study mode. Crazy as it may sound to some , I complete the most work between the hours of 10pm-12pm.

Dr. Judith A. Owens and her co-authors write in the American Academy of Paediatrics stated that, “the average adolescent in the United States is chronically sleep deprived and pathologically sleepy…”

It’s alarming how many of my peers boast about pulling all-nighters. So many students, including myself when I first started uni, do not care about sleep. I used to think coffee was the answer to all my sleep problems, and as long as my memory served I didn’t need to fret about not sleeping 8 hours.

American student Connor Nikolic says, “While we may think we are adults, college students shouldn’t be quick to deny their bodies ample — and natural — time to catch some Z’s.”

When it comes to napping many students say they would like to be able to take a nap, but they just don’t have the time for one. Anti-nappers such as Danielle Joyce argue that they’re “not productive”, “mess up my sleeping schedule” and “make me feel sick and lazy”.

Tracy Eileen says “…it’s common for students to burn the midnight oil, to watch TV or meet social demands. An erratic lifestyle like this commonly produces sleep problems.”

Although there are many methods which may help regulate your sleep pattern, (Scott Fetters give some great tips in his Huffington Post blog post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-fetters/generation-y-cant-we-sleep_b_4950533.html) there are 2 basic things that need to be changed before you try out any wild methods:

1. VALUE your sleep. If you perceive sleep to be as important as healthy eating and exercise (which it certainty is!), you’ll make an effort to go to bed earlier and take consistent naps. All-nighters are not something to be bragged about.
2. Don’t feel guilty about taking a 20min nap and give yourself full permission to get horizontal.

Let’s stop depriving our bodies of a basic human need!

Please comment if you have any sleep-management tips for struggling students. Or alternatively, any confronting facts about sleep deprivation…

Don’t know any shocking facts? Have a quick glance at this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/scary-sleep-deprivation-effects_n_2807026.html

References

http://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/how-students-can-get-more-sleep/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qweekend-health-dangers-arising-from-lack-of-sleep-confront-tired-teens/story-fnihsrf2-1226682074867

http://thoughtcatalog.com/danielle-joyce/2014/02/6-reasons-why-i-hate-naps/

Why Women Sleep Less Than Men

Tactically going to bed an hour before he does and praying to slip into the lad of nod…only to find you’re wide awake as he creeps into bed and kisses you goodnight. His head hits the pillow and he beings to breath heavier, slower and louder. Then out bellows the monstrous snore. Yet again, you find yourself nudging, kicking and eventually rolling him on his side. The snoring dies down to a soft purr. Another hour and a half passes and you’re still wide awake and regretting downing that English Breakfast Tea and munching through handfuls of those glorious coffee truffles. Is it his snoring? The worries of the week ahead? Am I too hot or cold? Is it that ticking clock? Whywhywhy can’t I sleep??? How does he managed to get to sleep before be every night?

Have you experienced something similar? Well, you’re definitely not alone. A recent Stats Can study of Canadians’ sleep habits showed that 35 percent of women polled reported difficulty falling and staying asleep. Dr Jim Horn, Britain’s leading expert in sleep science, says that on average women need twenty more minutes of sleep than men:

“Women tend to multi-task – they do lots at once and are flexible – and so they use more of their actual brain than men do. Because of that, their sleep need is greater…A man who has a complex job that involves a lot of decision-making and lateral thinking may also need more sleep than the average male – though probably still not as much as a woman.”

According to the Sleep Foundation, there are several other factors that may affect women’s quantity and quality of sleep:

• Sleep disturbances during pregnancy due to excess weight and position of the fetus.
• Difficulty sleeping during menopause due to hot flashes.
• Being woken up and moved around on the bed by the partner. (Men tend to be larger than women)
• Worrying about problems

Another problem is the diagnosis of sleep disorders in women. Some sleep disorders in women are under-recognised, misdiagnosed and mistreated, highlighting a gender bias in clinics. Lack of awareness among physicians and misinterpretation of women’s symptoms are some of the reasons for misdiagnosis and mistreatment…

So. Ladies. You have a much more valid excuse then men to wind down and take that 20min afternoon siesta. Knowing that you got some shut eye during the day will make you less cranky later on when you’re lying awake beside him. Remember not to stress too much if you never manage to got to sleep before him as research has shown that women, when they do fall asleep, sleep a lot deeper than men.

Now, which of you lie awake at night either with or without a man beside you? Can you pinpoint the reason why? If not, why not try and make day-time sleeping a habit? Not only will it help you concentrate and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, but also help ease tension with your man after he drops off into the land of nod.

Let you’re hair down, smile, have a drink and take that much needed nap..

Cheers!

References 

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/duke-university-scientists-find-women-need-more-sleep-than-men/story-fneuz9ev-1226596253113

http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/do-women-need-more-sleep-men

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-keaton/women-sleep_b_5399748.html

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/embrace-life/sleep/why-he-sleeps-better-than-you

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615015650.htm

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201202/men-and-women-different-when-it-comes-sleep

Insight from a troubled night-time sleeper – James Ryrie’s Guest Post

Hello Everyone!

I have been lucky enough to receive another guest post for Think Smart, Take a Siesta from the fabulous, bear-hugging, keen napper, James of Sans Souci!

Unfortunately James suffers, like many of us out there, from not being able to fall into that wonderful deep sleep we all dream about.. He has been kind enough to share some great tips on how to get some decent Zzz’s at night. As a keen napper, he has also shared some original insight into the wonders of taking a siesta and how to get the best out of them. Have any of you ever tried a “caffeinated nap”?

Guest Post

A good nights sleep is something that has always been troublesome for me. For many years now I’ve had trouble sleeping only a few hours a night. Over that time, I have accumulated a bit of a list that I try to mentally check off  in order to fall asleep easier.

At Night: 

– Try to keep a relatively solid routine, sleeping at similar times throughout the week.

– Avoid technology before going to sleep. I always found this rather difficult, not watching a TV show or a movie before bed, but when I started to forgo the TV show for a book instead, sleep came a lot easier to me. Be sure to have your TV and computer screens turned off at night, as light at night can suppress melatonin (your body’s sleep cycle hormone) production.

– Be comfortable! get rid of that uncomfortable lumpy pillow you’ve ignored for so long, it makes all the difference. (after all, being comfortable is so… comforting)

– Go to sleep when you truly are tired. if you cant fall asleep within 20-30 minutes, get out of bed, do something that will relax you, read a book, and try again.

For Siestas:

– No peeking at your phone! technology is the destroyer of nap time. (aside from that handy alarm)

– Make sure you are somewhere that you wont be interrupted. having a 20 min nap in the lunch room at work with people coming and going may do more harm than good (and sounds somewhat annoying)

– Try a caffeinated nap. Have a nice cup of coffee before your 20 min nap and you’ll be feeling fantastic when you wake up, ready to take on the rest of the day.

Obviously different things work for different people, These have just been the things that work the best for me.

Happy Napping!