[M.K. Thompson]Perils of sleep deprivation

Staying up all night to finish an assignment or study for an exam is a common occurrence for high school and college students. There always seems to be more work than there is time to do it. The precious time that students have must be shared with friends and family members as they balance work and life. It often seems that the only way to get more time per day is to sleep less.

Students are understandably proud of their hard work and success. They are equally proud of their ability to still find time to enjoy themselves. Consequently, student culture has come to glorify sleep deprivation. As consolation for lost sleep or to motivate a sleepy friend, MIT students often jokingly tell each other "sleep is for the weak." Another common saying around campus is: "Work, friends, sleep. Pick two." (The response was an MIT admissions blog: Work, friends, sleep. Pick three.)

Popular culture has also embraced sleep deprivation. The Barenaked Ladies, a Canadian alternative rock group, released a song entitled "Who Needs Sleep?" in 1998. Bon Jovi, an American rock band, declared "I`ll Sleep When I`m Dead" in 1992. These catchy, upbeat songs are fun, especially when played very loud and very late at night. They are both comfort and company while doing yet another problem set. But these songs and sayings can also give adults and students alike an unhealthy and unrealistic attitude toward sleep.

Study after study has shown that sleep deprivation can negatively affect your academic performance. A lack of sleep can lead to short-term losses of intelligence quotient levels, reasoning ability and memory. Staying up all night to study for a test is like trying to take a test with half your brain tied behind your back. Will the extra facts that you memorize make up for your inability to think? I suppose it depends on what kind of test you are taking. At MIT, that trade-off was never worth it.

Sleep deprivation can reduce motor functions by 20 percent or more. One common analogy is that the loss of a full night`s sleep is equivalent to being legally drunk. You wouldn`t drive a car or operate heavy machinery without full use of your faculties. You shouldn`t be using experimental equipment, making important decisions or determining your final grades when impaired either.

Inadequate sleep also increases overall frustration, leads to a loss of empathy toward other people and interferes with interpersonal relationships. Sleep-deprived people tend to blame other people for problems, and are much less likely to accept blame to diffuse a hostile situation. This means that exhausted teammates and co-workers will be much more difficult to work with than individuals who have gotten a good night`s sleep.

Finally, lack of sleep can impair your metabolism, weaken your immune system and increase stress hormones. If you get too little sleep over a long period of time, it will start to take a serious toll on your health. Missing a week or two of school because of illness in a particularly difficult university may result in a full set of failing grades or "incompletes" instead of "As."

I worry about the students who fall asleep in my classes. They are not learning anything from the lecture. They`re not even getting a decent nap!

Performance is not judged based on how many hours you work. It is based on your productivity. How much good, quality work can you do per week? You can do higher quality work in less time if you are well rested and able to use all of your cognitive abilities. If you are tired, the same work will take longer to do. If it is not done correctly, then all of the work will have to be redone later and the loss of sleep was for nothing.

Successful strategies for how to do better work while getting more sleep will vary by individual. You have to get to know yourself and make a plan that works for you. Taking fewer classes or participating in fewer extracurricular activities can help to reduce your workload and stress levels. Starting assignments early will give you additional time to think about the problems and to seek help if necessary. Try to prioritize assignments - there will always be more work than there is time. Work when you`re being productive (even if it is a Saturday night). Stop working when you stop getting work done. If you are too tired to do anything but watch television, go to bed. Rest when you start to get sick, instead of pushing through it and getting sicker. Finally, don`t feel guilty for taking some time for yourself.

Sleep affects your health, your education and your career. Live while you`re alive. Don`t drag yourself through life half-dead.





Mary Kathryn Thompson, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. She can be reached at mkthompson@an.kaist.ac.kr. - Ed.