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Sleepless in Grinnell

Wellness Comittee seeks to raise awareness of the importance of sleep for students

by David Logan

Lab rats die after 28 days without sleep.

While Grinnell students may not be going 28 days without sleep, they certainly do not get enough of it. This semester the Wellness Committee, which started meeting three years ago and is composed of students, faculty and staff, has conducted research and focus groups on sleep at Grinnell in order to raise awareness of and improve campus sleep habits.

Results from a study commissioned by the Student Affairs office to supplement the college's biannual Health Survey prompted the focus on healthy sleep habits.

The "Report on Student Stress at Grinnell College," conducted by John Schuh and other researchers from Iowa State University, sought to identify the causes of stress, rather than the effects, as previous surveys such as the Health Survey had done.

While the study lacked specific numbers about the sleeping patterns on campus, it concluded that sleep deprivation was a primary stressor among Grinnell students and faculty and needed to be addressed.

According to Tom Crady, vice president of Student Affairs and co-chair of the Wellness Committee, the committee's immediate goal is to raise awareness about the importance of sleep. "What we're trying to do is tell people that sleep is important for doing well on exams, for living a balanced life and for feeling good about themselves."

College students have long complained of being overworked and under-rested, a lament that research has confirmed. Though the daily amount of sleep recommended for 18-24-year-olds is approximately nine hours per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation the average college students gets less than seven. According to students and faculty, Grinnell is no exception.

"[Committee members] feel like it's just accepted at Grinnell that you're not going to get very much sleep," Johanna Borkin '06, a committee member, said. "As far as people want to be good students, it's assumed that they're not supposed to get sleep."

The study found that academic achievement and exceedingly busy schedules are the two main causes for students' sleep deprivation, and that an inability to manage their busy schedules exacerbates the problem.

"Although improper time management is the bane of many students, the problem is deeper," Dave Wylie, a committee member, said in an email to the S&B. "Because the problem pits students' long-term health against their short-term imperative to succeed academically, the problem is deeply rooted and difficult to address."

But while they acknowledge that sleep deprivation as a problem, some students don't see an easy solution. "I feel like at this school, especially, people just need to learn how to balance work and sleep," Becca Landor '07 said. "The only thing [that would help] would be less work, but that's not going to change at Grinnell."

Joe Neisser, Philosophy, acknowledges that the workload at Grinnell is challenging, but thinks that often students fall asleep in class because of too much socializing.

"You have to have a thick skin as a professor because if you take offense at [students falling asleep in class], you're going to spend your whole life offended," he said. "There is a difference between the students who make it a habit, and those who do it occasionally because they were out partying late once or twice."

Barbara Waite, Physical Education, and a member of the committee, said that a "sleep culture" hostile to healthy sleep habits also contributes to the problem.

"[It's] ? almost ? where if you went to bed before two in the morning, that's kind of wussy, or you're not working hard, and if you stayed up later, you're proud of it," she said. "Everyone on that committee has heard, seen, experienced that ... instead of [students] saying ?I need to get my sleep' and being proud of getting your sleep, we're seeing the opposite."

Committee activities have included posting a number of flyers on campus promoting the importance of sleep, hosting a panel discussion with local experts yesterday on sleep and distributing sleep factoid cards and earplugs to students' mailboxes.

"There's much talk of sleep deprivation on campus, but little talk of actually doing something about it," Wylie said. "The Wellness Committee's campaign of posters and ear plugs is temporary, but we hope the message will be lasting and effectual."

But these messages may ring hollow with students who don't see bad sleep habits as a choice.

"I don't think it will help me get more sleep because I have my priorities with school, despite what an inventive poster is going to say," David Paige '09 said.

Some research has suggested that late-night cramming sessions that infringe on sleep can be harmful to academic performance. A 2001 study published in the College Student Journal reported that long sleepers-those who slept nine or more hours a night-enjoyed GPAs nearly half a quality point higher than short sleepers, who get less than six hours a night.

Omar Munoz '09 said that while staying up all night may help students get work done, it may not be their best work. "The next day you try and remember what you wrote and why you wrote it, but you just don't," he said. "There's no explanation for it being there."

While the Wellness Committee has focused on sleep awareness and education this semester, their plans include examining the college's role in influencing sleep patterns.

"We'd like to think that we're completely in control of [our sleeping habits], and to some to degree that's very empowering," said Waite. "But, unfortunately, that approach ignores a host of other factors."

According to Waite and other members, the committee has composed an informal list of policy suggestions the college may adopt to assist in developing healthy sleeping habits and generally reducing stress.

Among the suggestions are to start classes at 9 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. and urging faculty to assign work over breaks sparingly so that students have time to recuperate from their strenuous workloads. The committee has also considered proposals to incorporate wellness-related issues into tutorial curricula, a change also recommended by Schuh and his colleagues.

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