By Avery Delgadillo
The words “college student” and “sleep deprived” always seem to go hand in hand. There are semesters where three meals a day and eight hours of sleep are but a distant memory of what use to be. Our drive and aspirations for our future fuel us to continue working long hours on assignments and when adulating, extra curricular activities and a social life gets thrown into the mix, we often ask ourselves what is sleep?
Even though six hours of sleep becomes a norm for us, the risks that tag along with that lifestyle are harmful. According to healthline.com, sleep deprivation causes weight gain, a weakened immune system, memory problems, impaired brain activity, depression and moodiness to name just a few effects.
The disadvantages of not getting a full eights hours of sleep each night not only affects your own body, but when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you are now putting the lives of others at risk, too. Six hours of sleep or less is similar to driving with a BAC of .05% (National Sleep Foundation). If you find yourself dozing off before driving or while driving, it is never too late to pull over. Some smart choices to make before driving drowsy would be to: call a friend to pick you up, take a 20 minute power nap before driving or call an Uber.
As we work hard everyday with all that we are involved in, we cannot forget to listen to our bodies and keep ourselves safe as well as the people around us. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety recorded that 58% of fatal teen car crashes occurred between 6pm and 6am; don’t become a statistic – live out your dreams and get some sleep!
Avery is a Senior at University of Texas, San Antonio. She is studying Communication, with a concentration in Public Relations.
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