The College Sleep Crisis

The semester has barely started and we are already swamped with work. Juggling between classes, clubs, part-time jobs, and an ever-expanding list of assignments and projects, the idea of a full night’s sleep seems like a distant thought. 

So many of us are surviving with only caffeine in our veins and power naps between classes. But let us all be honest, this is not sustainable or healthy. So, let’s figure out why we’re struggling to sleep and how we can fix it. 

Biggest sleep-stealers:

1. Overcommitment Overload: You signed up for five clubs, agreed to three group projects, and thought an extra part-time job on top of 18 credits was a good idea. Does this sound familiar? There are so many opportunities at SU, and sometimes it can be tempting to say yes to it all. And before you know it, your calendar has no breathing space and you’re up at midnight still trying to get to those four chapters you need to read for tomorrow. 

2. All-Nighter Trap: Whether it’s finishing the essay you swore you would start earlier or the exam you’re cramming for at the last moment, pulling all-nighters has become almost a college regular. However, consistently sacrificing sleep for study sessions only leads to brain fog, exhaustion, and a recurring cycle of procrastination.

3. Spiraling into Stress: You toss and turn in bed but you can’t stop thinking about that one deadline you never got to or that one exam that did not go the way you expected. Anxious thoughts tend to plague us at night and before we know it we’re thinking about the distant future and spending hours consumed in our own minds. 

4. Doom-Scroll Dilemma: We tell ourselves we will just watch one last TikTok or scroll through instagram for “just five more minutes.” But suddenly we realize it is 3 a.m. and we have fallen down a rabbit hole of random life hacks, funny dog videos and questionable cooking tutorials. The blue light from our screens makes it even harder for us to wind down and instead leaves us wide awake. 

Strategies to combat the above:

1. For the overachievers: Prioritise! You do not have to do every single thing on this campus. Learn to say no to commitments that don’t serve you and events you do not truly enjoy. Instead, schedule sleep into your calendar like it is a super important meeting and stick to it because you can only take on the world if you’ve taken care of yourself first!

2. For the all-nighter enthusiasts: Try starting your tasks just 30 minutes earlier than usual. Break them down into small chunks and eliminate distractions. Use Pomodoro or the two-minute method to motivate yourself and work in advance instead of the last minute (trust me, your future self will thank you!)

3. For the stressed out sleepers: Establish some kind of wind down routine and do it everyday. Try activities like journaling, meditation, yoga, exercise or reading something relaxing before bed to calm your mind. 

4. For the late-night scrollers: Use screen time limits or night mode settings to reduce blue light exposure. Set up a “no phone” rule at least 30  minutes before bed. Use screen-blocking apps such as ScreenZen to block your impulses, or better yet, charge your phone across the room so you can’t easily access it. 

Sleep deprivation can truly be a nightmare. Working towards fixing our sleep habits now will help us avoid burnout and allow us to enjoy our day instead of perpetually feeling tired. It will help alot for our college careers and when we go out into the working world. And I’m sure our minds will thank us for prioritizing this need.