Hawaii college students are no strangers to sleep deprivation.
Chaminade University senior Mike Pennock says he’s found ways to cope with the lack of shut-eye. "I’ve learned to take naps, to sleep on couches and chairs. I’ve even seen students sleeping in computer chairs in the library," he said. "As finals approach, you see people falling asleep everywhere — students sleep in a corner, against a wall."
The 22-year-old computer science major is a resident assistant at the Chaminade dorms who’s seen students at both extremes of the sleep scale, from students who manage to spend more than enough time in bed to others in the throes of marathon cram sessions.
Courtney Voss knows all about late-night studying. But now, as an older and wiser graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, she says she’s "shifted gears" and averages about eight to nine hours of sleep each night.
"Age has helped. I’ve learned over time that I don’t function well if I don’t get a good night’s sleep," said Voss, 28, who is pursuing a master’s degree in social work. "Now I try to get my work done in the morning."
She said she’s come to realize that a good night’s rest helps her deal with stress and the demands of her academic program.
According to Kristen Scholly, chairwoman of the UH health promotion program, all-nighters can be counterproductive, as students may do better on exams with adequate sleep beforehand.
The program has been reaching out to students in UH residence halls and in several academic departments to educate them about the importance of sleep and how it relates to stress management, immune function and mental health.
"We feel less depressed and anxious when we get a good night’s sleep," Scholly said.
UH dorm policies state that students are expected to refrain from making "excessive" noise that "intrudes on the privacy and the needs of others to sleep and study. Noise may be deemed disruptive if it can be heard through a closed door or window."
"Quiet hours" are in effect from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 9 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and on the eve of state holidays. Special 24-hour quiet hours go into effect during the finals period and designated study days.
"Another way we help students sleep is by providing all rooms with blackout curtains that minimize light," said Mike Kaptik, director of student housing services at UH-Manoa. "There are also social spaces in buildings to hang out, so if noise is an issue, they can go to these spaces."
Similar quiet hours are in place at Chaminade’s dormitories.
Tracy Trevorrow, professor of psychology at the Kaimuki campus, said many of his students are juggling school and job responsibilities. "There aren’t enough hours in the day. Sleep is the first thing to go," he said.
Lack of sleep makes it difficult to retain complex knowledge, he explained. "If there’s an interruption in sleep patterns or students experience superficial sleep (and not deep or REM sleep), it is difficult for them to remember what they learned the day before," he said.
"Our brains don’t work well when we are tired."
