I ~ r .f Ailk . yw 8B - The Michigan Daily - Wekend IMagmue - Thursday, November 13, 2003 0 The Michigan Daily- Wcekcad Ma0zinc The I chII n Da Vily - f 1 nd .LYUMIl YLin Stress nothing to lose sle By Neal Pais u Daily Arts Writer lertness aids" seem to be the rage on campus these days. With everything from energy drinks to Adderalls, University students are pushing the limits of their studying capabilities. Sacrificing sleep for the promise of stronger academic results, these individuals don't quit until they "crash" the next day. Endemic to America's institutions of higher learning, this trend is disturbing because of the implications it has for the men- tal well-beings of this nation's college students. It has been said that in college, when it comes to grades, fun and sleep, you can only have two. From an informal survey of virtually any college campus, it's evident that students usually opt for the first two upon hearing the classic maxim. "My sleeping patterns are very inconsistent; I either get a lot (of sleep), or none at all," said LSA senior Pamela Itzkowitch. "It's mostly due to my workload ... I have a full course sched- ule. But when I get a decent amount of sleep, I'm a lot more functional;' Itzkowitch added. LSA senior Daniel Rieger admitted, however, that his lack of sleep comes from slightly different source: "It's mainly from partying," he said. "I'm so busy during the week, I just have to release on the weekends. I just end up not getting any sleep dur- ing these times." People may lose sleep for a variety of reasons, whether it is from academic stress or an unusual lifestyle. Yet, whatever the case may be, both the bookworms and the revelers place them- selves at risk for an assortment of serious health problems with every sleepless night they accrue. The effects of sleep deprivation may be manifested through a number of negative physical responses. In an exhausted body, the eyes lose their ability to focus properly; muscle strength becomes sharply reduced when the metabolism slows down. Consequently, basic motor skills become impaired, the degree correlated to the amount of regular sleep that is lost. Lack of sleep also results in a compromise of the immune system, ren- dering the non-sleeper susceptible to infections. Moreover, long- term sleeplessness may cause severe gastrointestinal problems, as the body forces itself to adjust to a foreign schedule. Sleep deprivation also takes a significant toll on the emotion- al stability of a person. Recent studies suggest that sleep depri- vation can be linked to the aggravation of clinical depression. Stress, anxiety, general mental duress all may perpetuate insom- nia, yet they may also precipitates chronic sleeplessness; the progression of emotional side effects is circular in this way. "The risk for psychiatric disorders such as depression is increased ... in the short term, people with insomnia describe moodiness, irritability, difficultly with concentration and just plain feeling lousy," said Ronald Chervin, director of the University's Sleep Disorders Laboratory. An excessive denial of sleep will even result in very grave psychological repercussions. The New England Journal of Medicine has definitively linked fatigue to automobile acci- dents; many researchers agree that a night of lost sleep is equiv- alent in its effects on the central nervous system as one or two alcoholic beverages. In Britain, several recent studies have alarmingly concluded that long-term sleep deprivation can result in borderline retarda- tion, with every hour of sleep lost translating into a temporary, one-point drop in the IQ of the individual. There are several different treatments for sleeplessness, each one depending on the causes and severity of the case. A phar- macological approach is most frequently used for serious but short-term insomnia. There are several pills on the market that can be used to combat insomnia. Most of these are benzodi- azepines - a class of drugs prescribed for their tranquilizing, sedative and anti-anxiety effects. However, drugs of this catego- ry are extremely addictive physiologically, and should be used with prudence and caution. Non-benzodiazepine prescription sleep aids like Ambien and Avoid working and eating before going to bed. Sonata do exist, yet these pills are also habit-forming, making it potentially difficult for users to adopt a natural sleep cycle after their discontinuance. Actual medical treatment is also a helpful solution for insom- nia. Usually employed in cases of acute, chronic insomnia, psy- chological counseling and behavioral therapy, physicians seek to find the underlying causes behind a patient's inability to sleep. Physicians may often find psychological and/or neurological trauma to be the root of sleepless, making it easier to continue with a suitable plan of action. "The first thing we do (at the Neurology Department) is diag- nose the insomnia, which is a complaint, not a specific disor- der," Chervin said. "Once we know what is causing the insom- nia, we can usually plan an effective treatment approach." An alternative method - which can and should be insti- tuted in addition to others - is the practice of "sleep hygiene." Advocated by Prof. Henry Olders, a prominent sleep researcher at McGill University, sleep hygiene involves a regimented sleep plan of sorts. It involves environment controls, such as adjusting the bedroom's levels of noise, light and climate. In addition, it calls for the suspension of nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and exercise three hours before the desired bedtime. Many doctors also advise against taking long naps during the day. The National Sleep Foundation stresses the fact that naps longer than 10 to 15 minutes make it difficult to fall asleep at night - the time of day that sleep is most critical. Many stu- dents believe that regular napping compensates for pulled all- nighters, yet the opposite is true. Naps disrupt the normal sleep schedule, making students accustomed to a false, choppy and inadequate space of sleep time. If you're tired during the day, you're just going to By adopting a rig not only fight off strike against it. At it can be difficult able to enjoy a dec agree is around eig program may be th and days of exhaus "Together these effective and long Olders said in a wi "I think it's poss just don't think it underrated or ignor Given the hectic experiment with no haps the most com Calming remedies valuable opportuni Also, students s activities from one activity, and its im the body's more d attempt to preserve "Sleep is what h would definitely b Itzkowitch said. Sleeplessness ca inal means student spending hours coi FOREST CASEY/Daily For the best advice on how to cope with sleep problems, students should contact either UHS or Counseling and PsychologIcal ServIces-.