Students who want a better grade point average should consider getting more ‘Z’s.

Sleep is an important factor in not only performing better, but also feeling better, said Judith Kuczek, a nursing laboratory supervisor at NIU.

“If a student is sleeping in class, it’s not very likely that they’re going to be aware of the information being given during class,” Kuczek said. “Of course it is up to the faculty to utilize different teaching methods to keep the student awake and engaged in class.”

Lack of sleep combined with stressful elements, such as academics, can result in symptoms of stress, including fatigue, irritability, lack of concentration, violent outbursts, social isolation and excessive use of alcohol or drugs, Kuczek said.

Kuczeksaid she works with many nursing students who don’t get enough sleep at night due not only to academic pressures, but also busy home lives.

“They have a busy schedule with volumes of reading to do,” Kuczek said. “Besides the requirements for academics, many have job and family commitments. School is not the primary focus but requires more attention than all the other activities, so students stay up late, but have class at 8 a.m. or earlier for clinical and often arrive at school not very alert and awake.”

According to the Sleep and Chronophysiology Laboratory at the University of Michigan Depression Center, students need at least eight to eight-and-a-half hours of sleep a night.

Sleep deprivation can cost society more than $100 to $150 billion in terms of illness, accidents and loss of life and overall loss of productivity on the job, according to www.riverdeep.net.

The Web site says drivers who fall asleep at the wheel cause 200,000 traffic accidents and 1,500 deaths in the United States each year.

Katie Collins, a sophomore music major at NIU, said she feels she does not get enough sleep at night to help her perform at her best during the day.

“There aren’t enough hours in the day to sleep,” Collins said. “Between classes, homework, work and friends, sleep just isn’t that important. I’m always trying to sleep during class to make up for it.”

Healthy lifestyle tips

– Stick to a regular schedule for going to bed and waking up – even on weekends.

– Get some exercise in the late afternoon or early evening.

– Cut down on caffeinated soft drinks.

– Plan ahead so that you can finish your work in time to relax a bit before going to bed.

Source: www.riverdeep.net