For many college students, sleep is often seen as an option. With classes, work, and deadlines imminent, it becomes sleep versus everything else, and in most cases, sleep loses. What begins as one all-nighter turns into a lifestyle of dazed focus. Carson Oshel, a second-year student, says, “I know the struggle all too well; it is just like sometimes I end up staying up until two in the morning typing to get my homework done, and then it is the next day.” Sleep deprivation is one of the most overlooked issues with college students. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, young adults require seven to nine hours of sleep per night to maintain optimal focus, bodily functions, and mental health. Most college students get significantly fewer hours than that per night. Over time, this leaves their brains spinning and their bodies physically exhausted.

Few students list sleep as a health concern. Second-year student Sebastian Torres admits that his sleep schedule has changed since coming to college, “In high school I got at least eight hours a night,” Torres said. “Now I would be lucky if I get five.” And he is right. An article from Harvard Medical School reports that inconsistent sleep patterns, such as staying up late or sleeping in some days, will create conflicting expectations with the body’s internal clock. It allows delayed sleep opportunities and an inability to focus during the day. Unnecessary tasks become complicated by concentration. Concentration is not the only thing that suffers. According to the CDC, chronic deprivation translates to higher probabilities of illness, depression, and weight gain, for students who already have a lot to deal with, this just adds more to their plate.

Both the CDC and Harvard Medical School suggest that there are easy solutions to ease this process, including consistent bedtimes, limited exposure to blue lights before bed, and increased levels of natural light throughout the day. These simple solutions will significantly improve one’s attention span and productivity levels. For students, the biggest issue is not what they can do, but when they can do it. Between work-study programs and coursework, lack of sleep can be seen as a positive, while science and students themselves say otherwise. The conflict of student life suggests that sleep comes at the expense of getting ahead, when it actually puts students further behind. As the message rings clear, although it might be difficult to follow, there is no other solution. You have to go to bed if you want to get ahead.