# data[].attributes.body
In life, you often get out what you put in. This applies quite literally to physical health: the better you eat, the healthier you will be.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING | 15 healthy eating tips

# data[].attributes.body
Now that you understand the importance of good nutrition, you body then needs something to do with all that energy. Exercise keeps essential organs and parts of the body like your heart and muscles in shape so they can do their jobs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
General health and fitness guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64, including tips on how to achieve 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week.

# data[].attributes.body
I chose this topic because it is something that I believe is often overlooked. Getting a good night's sleep is not prioritized as much as it should be, but its positive outcomes certainly do not go unnoticed. Getting into a healthy sleep routine can bring about great positive change for anyone who implements it, and this change is much more than simply not feeling tired.

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, and as a college student, your responsibilities will always still be there when you wake up. But you will be in a better state to complete them if you get enough rest. College requires a great amount of mental effort, which can lead to physical exhaustion and mental burnout. It is important to sleep so that you have the energy to carry out your tasks effectively.

# data[].attributes.headline
Consistent, ample sleep means better grades!

# data[].attributes.subject
Consistent, ample sleep means better grades!

# data[].attributes.body
In a study conducted on chemistry students at MIT, it was confirmed that students who get enough sleep (7 1/2 hours) got better grades than those who got less sleep (50% decrease for 6 1/2 hours). Quantity and consistency aren't all that matter, however. It was found that when students went to sleep past the threshold (2 A.M.) their grades also suffered, regardless of how much they slept. It is important to remember each factor in crafting a healthy sleep routine, so that you aren't confused when you are still struggling.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Study: Better sleep habits lead to better college grades

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MIT professors gave Fitbits to 100 students and found strong correlations between sleep habits and performance in an introductory chemistry class.

# data[].attributes.headline
So how much sleep is everyone getting these days?

# data[].attributes.subject
So how much sleep is everyone getting these days?

# data[].attributes.body
The average college student sleeps for around 6-7 hours per night. This statistic is just shy of the amount recommended for young adults (7-9 hours) by medical doctors at the Sleep Foundation. I usually get around 8-9 hours per night, and this has worked very well for me. In high school, however, I would often get 6 or less hours of sleep, which I noticed didn't make me feel very good. I think as long as I get more at least 8 hours, I feel well rested and don't feel tired during the day. I would highly recommend prioritizing sleep for college students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The average college student gets more sleep than you might think, according to a recent evaluation of the sleep data collected by Jawbone's UP device. The wearable device measures sleep, movement/exercise and food consumption, and it says student sleep habits don't necessary follow the stereotype.

The latest data was obtained from tens of thousands of college students attending more than 100 universities throughout the U.S. The results represent more than 1 million nights of sleep.

Student sleep patterns

The average duration of sleep for the students tracking their sleep with the UP device was 7.03 hours on weeknights and 7.38 hours on the weekends. So much for the idea of college students getting little to no sleep, alternating late-night parties with all-night study sessions.

The study also indicates, on average, that:

Women go to sleep 39 minutes earlier than men.

Men wake up later but sleep less than women.

Women sleep about 23 minutes more on weeknights and 17 minutes more on weekends

The study suggests that students who were tracked are getting, on average, more than the 7 minimum recommended hours of sleep per night. However, about 46 percent of nights, students are sleeping less than 7 hours.

It's important to note that this study only evaluated students who were using the UP device. This suggests a research population with a higher level of disposable income and an above average interest in monitoring health data for optimization.

It is unclear whether these student sleep results are truly reflective of the general student population. There have been no other studies that have been able to effectively track the data of such a large cohort of students.

The impacts of sleep deprivation

GoodCall® previously explored some of the problems students experience due to insufficient sleep. Self-reported difficulties resulting in insufficient amounts of sleep appear to be higher than those uncovered in the research.

The consequences of student sleep deprivation were examined in a paper published by the National Institutes of Health. These included:

Daytime sleepiness.

Depressed mood.

Poor memory.

Difficulty concentrating.

Increased risk of obesity.

Impaired glucose tolerance.

Increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Anxiety systems.

Increased instances of alcohol use.

Sleep deprivation isn't a problem experienced only by students. Data suggests most Americans suffer from sleep deprivation occasionally. Many people attempt to solve the deficiency by sleeping more on weekends. Unfortunately, it is impossible to catch up and store sleep.

Dr. Joseph Krainin, founder and president of Singular Sleep LLC, explains, "One or two nights of more extreme sleep deprivation, of four hours or less, may set a student back mentally for several days."

How to get more sleep

While many students consider low levels of sleep to be a standard part of receiving an education, they don't have to be. There are tactics students can implement to ensure they are receiving adequate amounts of sleep to promote their health and academic success.

Dr. Aneesa Das, sleep medicine specialist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, recommends between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night as being optimal for most adults.

To accomplish this goal, she suggests the following:

Make sleep a priority.

Keep lights dimmer after sunset to help your body's circadian clock align with the sun and make it easier to fall asleep.

Keep sleeping spaces dark.

Create a quiet sleep environment.

Minimize clutter in sleeping areas.

Lower the temperature to mid to upper 60s.

In addition to these lifestyle alterations, there are several types of technology that can help people prepare their minds to fall asleep more quickly. Those who use digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers on a regular basis often have their sleep patterns disrupted due to increased exposure of blue light.

Some apps that can be used on the various operating systems to minimize the blue light emitted by the devices that has been found to reduce the amounts of melatonin produced by the brain.

Flux can be installed on Mac OSX and has versions for iPhone, iPad, Android devices, Windows, and Linux. Later model iPhones have native applications that allow the blue light to be removed from the screen by entering into night shift mode. Several reading devices or apps remove blue light when it's dark outside.

Some research has indicated subjects can wear orange tinted glasses to block blue light from a wider variety of sources. This can include the lighting used within the home that may also be negatively impacting quantity and quality of sleep.

Science has clearly shown sleep deprivation has serious medical and cognitive consequences. This most current study suggests that students may sleep more than anticipated, but it still identifies sleep inadequacies for a significant period each week. More research is needed to determine how widespread a lack of sleep is among a wider slice of college students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Study Reveals Student Sleep Habits: How Much is Enough? | GoodCall.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The average college student gets more sleep than you might think, according to a recent evaluation of the sleep data collected by Jawbone's UP device. The wearable device measures sleep, movement/exercise and food consumption, and it says student sleep habits don't necessary follow the stereotype.

# data[].attributes.body
This video suggested creating a table where you write down information about your sleeping habits, such as when you go to bed, how much you are sleeping, when you wake up, and how you felt the day after. I have never kept track of my sleep like this before, but I am definitely interested in how I am sleeping, because it is currently working for me. I would like to find out if I am consistent with my bedtime, because I know the importance of consistency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule in 3 Steps

# data[].attributes.headline
Wild card! What else can good sleep do for me?

# data[].attributes.subject
Wild card! What else can good sleep do for me?

# data[].attributes.body
The most interesting thing about this topic for me is that it has such a large influence on our daily lives and is responsible for strengthened immune systems, reduced stress, improved mood, and even better judgement and decision-making. Sleep is a natural, essential part of our lives, and it is imperative to maintain healthy sleep habits.