We Surveyed Students and Only 1/3 of You Are Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep: We spend a third of our lives in this mysterious state that scientists are still trying to figure out, but are we doing it right?

We surveyed 861 members on their sleeping habits and here’s what we found…

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How much sleep are you getting?

More than 50 per cent (aged 17 or younger) said they get between six to eight hours of sleep every night. However, only one third sleep for eight to 10 hours, which is how much shuteye teens actually need to function properly according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). 

Interestingly, our members ranked 'getting enough sleep daily' as most important for ensuring their health and well-being. 'Staying mentally active' and 'socialising with people IRL' ranked at the bottom (after 'diet and exercise'). However, when asked what takes priority on most days, ‘study’ ranked at the very top, followed by 'social and family life', while 'sleep' came in second-last before 'diet and exercise'.

Despite a majority of our members reporting unobtrusive sleeping environments, taking 30 minutes or less to fall asleep and waking no more than once at night (all signs of good quality sleep according to NSF), when asked if they wished they could get more sleep, a resounding 73 per cent responded yes.

Clearly, we recognise the need for sleep.

So, what’s stopping us?

Most of our members attributed their lack of sleep to a busy school and/or work schedule.

One member admitted they “feel guilty if I sleep too much because I’m less productive.”

However, research has shown that getting a good night’s sleep can, in fact, improve your brain’s productivity, concentration, creativity and problem solving. Continuous sleep deprivation can reduce the brain’s ability to learn new information and even cause emotional issues such as depression and aggression. 

Feel like you’re getting the right amount of sleep on most nights, but wake up tired anyway? A little more than 10 per cent of our surveyed members feel rested and ready to go right after waking up, while nearly 30 per cent say they’re ‘zombie tired’ most mornings. Even if you’re not up all night every night studying, irregular sleep patterns can make you feel tired because your body can’t get in sync with its natural patterns.

But let’s be honest, it’s not always the boring stuff keeping us up until dawn. Nearly 70 per cent of our members say they’re likely to check their phone and social media before bed, while 63 per cent will watch some form of TV. However, artificial blue light emitted by your devices can suppress the release of melatonin (our body’s sleep hormone) which prolongs drowsiness, reduces the quality of sleep you get at night and compromises your alertness the next morning.

And over time it could all add up to chronic deficiency in sleep with serious physical and mental health consequences.

Want to get better at sleeping? Here are some tips:

• Keep a diary or to-do list. If you jot notes down before you go to sleep, you’ll be less likely to stay awake worrying or stressing.
• Many of our surveyed members (43 per cent) say listening to music helps them sleep. Turns out this is a great idea because music can slow down your heart rate and breathing, lower your blood pressure and may even relax your muscles; all responses your body already associates with sleep.
• A majority also reported they don’t nap (on school days or weekends) but you might be surprised at how a quick power-nap can boost study, health and mood!
• Have a consistent sleep schedule (go to bed and wake up at the same time each day).
• And, finally, make sure your screens go to sleep at least 45 minutes before you do!

Photo: YouTube (realitychangers)