Sleep and Health
College students are among the most sleep-deprived age group in the U.S. Sleep deprivation can have detrimental effects on daily performance, including academics and driving, and has also been linked to depressed mood and behavioral problems.(Science Daily, 2008).
In the Fall 2009 UMass Boston National College Health Survey 21% of respondents reported that within the last 12 months sleep difficulties had affected their academic performance.
Sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. Like eating right and exercising, sleeping well is essential to feeling your best during the day. It affects how you feel, your relationships, your productivity and your quality of life. While you sleep, your brain goes to work, consolidating the day's learning into memory and re energizing the body.
For a full listing of resources about Sleep and Health please visit the UHS College Health and Wellness Guide.
Why Sleep Awareness Is Important
The National Institutes of Health estimates that sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes. Sleep disorders are common in both men and women; however, important disparities in prevalence and severity of certain sleep disorders have been identified in minorities and underserved populations. The cumulative effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders represent an under-recognized public health problem and have been associated with a wide range of health consequences including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, stroke, and at-risk behaviors – all of which represent long-term targets of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other public health agencies.
