An Epidemiological Perspective on College Student Health and Sleep

Abstract

It is estimated that some 40% of all young adults aged 18 to 25 years are enrolled in either a two-or four-year college [1]. A figure of approximately twelve million young adults, as college students, attend predominantly 4-year colleges with a recent surge in the overall total number of students coming from a peak in 2-year college enrollments [1]. Estimates of 50% of all 18-25 year olds are labor market participants [1] and an additional some 500,000 students were attending nondegree institutions of higher education.Considering all students enrolled in college, both full and part time, 65% are white, 13.1% black, 11.4% Hispanic, 6.7% Asian/Pacific Islanders, 1% Native American/Alaskan. Approximately 4% of college students in the United States are non-resident aliens attending the United States for an education. Students graduate with an average $19,000 in student load debt and an additional $3000 in credit card debt [1]. These financial aid sources are used to pay for some of the more popular majors of Business, Social Science and History, Education and Health Sciences. A recent drop in teens working attributed to the desire to accumulate more extracurricular credits to distinguish their applications removes any partial supplements to defray college costs.College students manage not only their academic studies but also the related social development tasks of establishing independence, developing life skills from the very concrete such a doing one's laundry to the sophisticated of navigating meaningful relationships. A component of establishing independence, for the college student, is values setting a healthy life style with pro-healthy behaviors, practice and self-care. For some the onset of independence of college life is mismanaged with unhealthy excess behaviors that contribute to poor health. Excessive alcohol use, cigarette use, substance abuse, stimulant overuse, unprotected sexual practices and untreated depression and anxiety symptoms make the college student vulnerable to poor health. These factors further complicate academics with stress (30.9%), sleep (23.7%), col/flu/sore throat (23.6%), concern for a troubled friend or family member (17.8%), and depression/anxiety symptoms (15.6%) being the most common [2]. Academics are further impacted by experiencing an emotionally abusive relationship, doing something they would regret or forget later and having unprotected sex after drinking alcohol.College students reported 52% of the time using exercising to lose weight and 62% eating 1-2 servings of fruit/vegetable per day [3]. Some 46% of college students reported getting enough sleep to feel rested in the morning across 3 to 5 days (Executive Summary, American College Health Association, 2011). Some 55%, on average, of all college students report 4 or more symptoms of clinical depression (i.e. overwhelmed, sadness, hopeless, difficulty functioning) [4].More recent health data of college students reported that, on average, they were in "good health" indicated by 52% rating of good health this past calend...

College Residential Sleep Environment

“…(2) College students living in a residential environment need to arrange a time for sleep/quiet with their roommates to minimize sleep disturbances. (3) College students would benefi t from following personally relevant sleep hygiene practices such as managing their activity levels ( Sexton-Radek, 2004, 2012Carney, Edinger, Meyer, Lindman, & Estre, 2006 ) and implementing strategies to relax at bedtime ( Goel, Hyungsoo, & Lao, 2005 ).…”

“…The shift to later bedtimes often results in late rising, missed morning classes, decreased alertness and concentration, and lower grades. For many young adults, sleep quality worsens over the course of the semester ( Machado, Varella, & Andrade, 1998 ;Sexton-Radek, 2004, 2012.…”

“…Indeed, REM sleep has been identifi ed as a time of learning and memory processing. It is unclear whether reductions in academic performance result from this compromised consolidation of memory and learning or from other factors ( Walker, Brakefi eld, Hobson, & Stickgold, 2003 ;Sexton-Radek, 2012 ;Sexton-Radek & Kaprelian, 2013 ). Hicks, et al (2001 ) reported that young adult college students do not believe they are sleep deprived or that they perform poorly.…”

“…Sleep hygiene practices include regular bedtimes and wake-up times, limiting noise and light levels, maintaining comfortable room and body temperatures, avoiding caff eine/alcohol/nicotine intake prior to bed, and maintaining a healthy diet with exercise ( Sexton- Radek, 2004Radek, , 2012. Other eff orts to address sleep disturbances typically have little empirical support but substantial clinical support.…”

Analysis of the Relationship between Sleep Environment and Sleep Quality in Children with Cancer in the Chemotherapy Phase

“…Sound levels increase significantly in hospitals and can lead to sleep deprivation. Reducing noise levels can improve sleep quality, affect the quality of stay of parents and children (Rosanna et al, 2018) The sleep environment includes regular bedtime and wake times, limiting noise and light levels, maintaining room comfort and body temperature, avoiding caffeine/alcohol/nicotine intake before going to bed, and maintaining a healthy diet with exercise (Hoyt et al, 2021;Radek, 2012).…”