Insomnia in College Students Essay Example

work on night shift so has to help raise funds for their school fees. The environment around the college does not offer favorable conditions to sleep. Some colleges have evening activities and hence it’s not easy to get sleep due to noise.
Use of drugs in the college is also causing this condition in colleges, for example, the use of psychoactive drugs such as cocaine. (Attarian, Hrayr P, and Catherine Schuman), medical conditions such as asthma also are common in colleges which affect the quality and quantity of sleep. Taking of caffeinated drink is common with students, and it causes insomnia. For the ladies, due to estrogen hormone shift during menstruation they suffer insomnia. Other factors that cause insomnia include sharing a room in college with someone who is snoring; other students have overactive brains; also parasites are common in colleges, and they cause insomnia, and lastly this condition is genetic. Use of technological devices by students prior to sleep is another cause of this condition. Students spend most of their sleep time on the internet. Another big challenge, especially to college men in Africa, is spending the night to watch soccer and other regular games.

Types

Insomnia can be categorized into three group based on the time it lasts. (Glovinsky, Paul and Arthur Spielman) For instance, there is the Transient Insomnia; this is the condition where insomnia lasts for a time which is less than a week. It is mainly caused by changing the environment where the student used to sleep. This is common for the students especially when they go for academic trips in the new environment. Can also result from those who have a specific

time to sleep changing their time to relax. The second group is the acute insomnia that exists for less than a month but for more than a week. This is so much associated with stress especially during exam time in college. Lastly is Chronic Insomnia which persists for more than a month. This is associated with too much stress and mind disorders. The latter may also be caused by chronic injury that causes pain.

Signs and Symptoms

This condition can be associated with the following: students have the problem to initiate sleep. Stores and Gregory suggest that they also have a problem in maintaining sleep, they tend to wake up several times during the dormant period, and it’s difficult to go back to sleep. Students also will wake up very early in the morning. The sleep problem will occur even when the opportunity is adequate. Generally, the students will lack quality and quantity sleep. In colleges, this case can be diagnosed using the Athens Insomnia Scale based on the sleep parameters.

Control

This condition can be monitored by having a timely sleep. This is where the student will set time to go to bed and wake up at the same time. Srinivasan and Ashok argue that students should avoid getting involved in vigorous activities. The students should also avoid caffeine drinks few hours before going to sleep. The bedroom should be fresh and dark and be used only to sleep. However, this condition can be treated based on its cause. Therapy is a common treatment for this condition. The student should also practice sleep hygiene for a better sleep. Other students take a cinnamon bath to initiate sleep and

others stand on the bed when their time to go to sleep reaches. All these practices will help the student control the insomnia condition.

Effects

College education is important both to the student and the whole society. According to Albert and Katherine A, insomnia condition would mainly result into sleeping during the day, reduced concentration of the students in the studies. The effect of this condition is evident in the decrease in Grand Points Average (GPA). This not only shows the academic performance of the student but also demonstrate the interaction between the student and environment. Insomnia lowers the grand point average of the students. Moreover, insomnia increases the chance of student academic failure. The student tends to sleep so much during the day time when they are supposed to be focused and concentrated on their academic. In additional has a compromised learning in their institutions’. These complications on focus and concentration jeopardize the learning of these students.

They end up losing more knowledge due to struggle with the sleep when the instructors are in classes. The mood of the student with insomnia is impaired. They always look stressed and depressed. This affects their communication with other students and also their instructors. This affects their performance and participation which impairs learning in class. Due to the stress condition of these students, there is searching of increased risk of accidents engaging motor vehicles. These students drive feeling so sleepy, and others stressed and as a result causing accidents.

Conclusion

In general, this condition is common in the colleges. This is because there are so many predisposing factors within the college and among the students. Much concern should be taken to ensure

good performance which will provide good services to the country by the students which will help boost the Country economy. Colleges should take the time to train students on this condition has many are living with this condition, but they are not aware of it. This is the best weapon that can be used to control this condition which is posing students too many dangers. Public awareness of this situation will help failure and injury among the college students.

References

Albert, Katherine A. Get A Good Night's Sleep. 1st ed., New York, Simon & Schuster, 1996

Attarian, Hrayr P and Catherine Schuman. Clinical Handbook Of Insomnia. 1st ed., Totowa, N.J., Humana, 2010

Glovinsky, Paul and Arthur Spielman. The Insomnia Answer. 1st ed., New York, Perigee Book, 2006

Hussein, Aamer. Insomnia. 1st ed., London, Telegram, 2007

Srinivasan, Ashok. Book Of Common Signs. 1st ed., New Delhi, Fourth Estate, 2014

Stores, Gregory. Insomnia And Other Adult Sleep Problems. 1st ed., Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009