SJSU Feature Story on Sleep

 The irony is not lost on me that I am writing an article about sleep’s effects on mental health while late at night, burnt out after a long day of classes. Situations like mine are the case for many college students, who never seem to be able to get enough sleep. 

“People are getting more interested in the science of sleep because it seems like the thing that everybody wants, and no one can get enough of,” said Erin Woodhead, an Associate Professor of Psychology at SJSU who has experience working with people suffering from insomnia. “We know that when people get a poor night’s sleep, physiologically they have certain reactions. Different people react differently, so sometimes the way your blood sugar levels are it can be similar to someone who has diabetes. People often report having less control on nights after they have less sleep, for instance eating things they don’t usually eat, or not being able to hold back. For lots of people it can also be having less control over their emotions or thoughts,” said Woodhead on why we act differently when we have less sleep.

The typical college student often pushes the limits of a healthy sleep schedule, instead focusing on their studies or working a part-time job in order to get by. “Homework assignments, family, just things that create stress that keep me up at night,” said Omer Syed, a college student at SJSU. Even worse, lack of sleep contributes to poor mental health and lessened emotional control, creating a difficult cycle to break. “Depression prevents me from sleeping because I’m up all night thinking about all of the problems that I have in my life. Then when I wake up, I’m more sluggish which in turn makes it harder to be motivated during the day,” said Syed. 

The need for better quality sleep can also lead students to experiment with other methods of getting some shut-eye. “When I take melatonin, it’s not like it makes me fall asleep, but it puts me in a state where I want to fall asleep,” explained Luis Hernandez, a student at SJSU. Melatonin seems to be the most popular sleep supplement to take amongst students, but Professor Woodhead warns against other methods like drinking or taking drugs to fall asleep. “Staying away from substances is big. People think that it helps them sleep but it really doesn’t, actually they tend to just get really light sleep. Monitoring caffeine intake is also important so that you are conscious of the fact that you will need to sleep at some point,” she said.

Students face unique challenges in getting an adequate amount of sleep. In an environment with less structure, many students have questions on how to properly regulate themselves to get a full night’s rest. “It’s where we start to see some difficulties because everything is blending together. Then your brain doesn’t know when it’s supposed to be winding down for sleep or ramping up to stay awake,” said Woodhead.

But what should students prioritize first? “If we’re getting technical about sleep, people should try to wake up at the same time everyday. Whether or not that’s something that people can accomplish, it’s good to make a conscious effort and maintain that day-to-day rhythm,” said Professor Woodhead. While knowing sleep should be a priority is one thing, actually getting enough sleep is a challenge for many. “I’ve had to work on resting. I’ve started to think about going to sleep, so that I’ll have energy for the next day,” said Luis Hernandez.

One of the biggest culprits for students’ lack of sleep is procrastination. “Procrastination is one of my main obstacles. I tend to do a lot of work at night, followed by showering and dinner,” said Juan Galparsoro, another SJSU student. “I’m a procrastinator, and I do all of my assignments the day of. Since all of my assignments are due at 11:59, I’m awake pretty much until at least 11:59,” added Luis Hernandez.

Naturally, it is quite difficult for a student to get enough sleep just due to the nature of how the brain works. “A lot of times when there’s sleep issues, it’s because there’s difficulty setting boundaries or limits around bedtime.” said Professor Woodhead “Your bedroom should be only for sleeping. You really shouldn’t be watching TV in there, playing video games in there, just sleeping. That actually trains your brain to know that this room is for sleep,” she added. But most student-living is only one room, how are we supposed to separate all of those things and still afford rent? “For a student that has limited space, we’re really talking about routines. Routines that your body is gonna know like ‘this is the time when it’s time to start winding down.’ Maybe there’s a certain set of activities that you do in a certain way, but it’s making sure that your body is then going to associate those activities with sleep,” said Woodhead. 

SJSU students may always struggle with their mental health, but remembering to sleep can go a long way to help. Professor Woodhead points to the correlation between sleep and mental health, and how while there are other factors, sleep should not be overlooked. Luis Hernandez summed it up perfectly, saying “sleep is extremely important for mental health because it’s just when your body recovers, and it’s when your brain recovers too.”