For college students sleep sacrifice becomes a very common practice. We are sometimes more concerned about the news on Facebook than our general wellbeing. It seems okay for us to cut back on several hours of sleep because we often are not aware of all of the important functions rest and sleep provide for us.
There are several stages of sleep and each of them has an important function. Stage 1 of our sleep is the light stage of sleep. Sometimes we are not even sure if we are actually sleeping or if we are awake. Stage 2 of our sleep lasts for about 65% of the night and during this stage our body processes slow down, muscled relax and body temperature goes down. Stages 3 and 4 are the stages of our deeper sleep. To feel fully rested in the morning, our body needs to go through several cycles of this type of sleep. During stage 5, or REM sleep, our brain action is similar to our awake state. Our heart rate and blood pressure increase and we experience rapid eye movements. Most of our dreams occur when our body is in this stage of sleep. When our body is deprived from this type of sleep for several nights, our body goes into REM rebound. This proves the critical biological function of sleep on our body.
Like in any other functions of the body, sleep also has several types of disorders. People might experience insomnia, narcolepsy (sudden urge to sleep), sleep apnea (caused by the blockage of the airway), night terrors, and sleepwalking.
It is important for college students to realize the importance of sleep. It plays a vital role in our health and the feeling of general wellbeing.
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