Third Story-Feature

Deprived of one of life’s necessities
For one WSU student, sleep deprived nights are not uncommon. Once her head finally hit’s the pillow, there are only a few hours before the buzz of her alarm signals that another long day is ahead.
“I rarely get more than 6 hours of sleep,” said Stephany K. Depew. She explained that a lot of the reason why she doesn’t catch many Z’s is because the stresses of school are weighing down her time.
Depew said the number one reason she doesn’t get a good nights sleep is due to the stress of the day that just finished, or any stresses that may lie ahead. “I find it hard to get a good night rest if I have a lot on my mind, especially when I have a test the next day,” said Depew.
According to a sleep deprivation survey on sleep-deprivation.com the number one cause of sleep deprivation is stress. The survey covered 4,000 subjects, 65 percent felt that stress was a huge factor in their sleeping patterns. Second to stress was work, or school related issues which also had significant effects when getting a good night sleep.
College student’s constantly stress over work loads teachers provide them with. “Especially this summer, I have had tests and papers due every week,” said Depew. She said the work load is more progressed in the summer, but during the regular year there is still a lot to handle. Depew said her anxiety kicks in when homework and tests are loaded in one week. She explained that when that happens, it is hard for her to focus and not get behind on her work.
Surveys have shown that the average adult needs a solid seven to eight hours of sleep per night. However, college students spending time cramming for tests and countless hours on homework are not always receiving the hours of sleep that are needed to get through the day.
Christina D. Ayers, a senior communication major said she rarely gets seven hours of sleep, in fact she would be lucky if she did. However she said that she has been surviving off of minimal hours of sleep and has become used to it.
“I honestly don’t feel deprived of sleep, although I know that Stephany definitely feels differently on that issue,” said Ayers.
Depew and Ayers are roommates during their time spent in Pullman. Both of them said they find themselves spending a good amount of time together at their kitchen table, doing school work.
“It’s nice to know there is someone to stay up with, to motivate me to finish studying,” said Depew. “I sometimes feel myself dozing off, but having my roommate there helps me to hold off on my exhaustion a little longer.”
Depew said she can’t wait for summer session to end, so she can finally catch up on her sleep.
Sleep deprivation has become an issue among college students all over the United States. Another statistic according to studies on sleep-deprivation.com stated that college students suffer from sleep deprivation the most. The amount of sleep that is needed at those ages is higher than people twice their age.
Stephany K. Depew is just one of many students in college that suffers from sleep deprivation.