The Pendulum ^ FFATURES Thursday, December 1, 2005 . Page 17
As finals near, sleep becomes more important for students
^ccordin^ to Hccilth Scrviccs students need fniniinuTn of seven hours of sleep pev night in
order to cope with the stress and anxiety of final exam time
4 4
^aitlyn Glascock
^pporter
With Thanksgiving break approaching, the workload
from classes is becoming more intense, and sleep often falls
to the bottom of the priority list for many Elon students,
^ith speakers, social functions, homework, group projects,
®xams and meetings, Elon students are losing many hours
of much-needed sleep.
Katherine Parrish, director of Health Services at Elon,
students should be getting a minimum of seven hours
of sleep per night. While seven hours is the recommended
^niount of time, Parrish says she believes Elon students
to be getting much less. Sophomore Sarah
^Kinney says, “I average around five hours of sleep a
’'•Sht, depending on when I have classes. I am always tired
usually fall asleep in the middle of class. A lack of
not only causes students to be tired, but it also may
affect
academic success.
Elon student Jennifer Rampal admits, “I only doze off in
^ome classes, but I never really fall asleep.” Some students
sjmply doze, others fall completely asleep, but any kind of
^eping during the daytime is a clear sign that a person’s
needs more rest. While many students count on 20-
‘0 30-minute power naps to keep them going, naps are
puwer naps lo kcc^ uivn* *
•'^ver as healthy as sleeping during the night. “Researchers
and doctors have said they feel that naps kind of disrupt a
person’s sleep patterns,” Parrish said. “Of course, if a per
son is getting no sleep, a nap is better than nothing.
Doctors recommend that you sleep the same amount per
night, even on weekends.”
Lack of sleep may make a student drowsy, but this is not
the only effect of sleep deprivation. “Lack of sleep can
cause stress and grumpiness,” said Elon student Samantha
Gilman. While a lack of sleep can cause stress, Parrish
says there are many more short- and long-term effects then
students would think. “Short-term effects can include
memory loss and difficult focusing, but if a lack of sleep
persists for a longer period of time, more side effects are
likely to occur. You then may get physical symptoms such
as muscle aches and lots of headaches,” Parrish said.
“When lack of sleep is perpetuated for a long period of time
there is the possibility of becoming depressed because a
person’s immune system is weakened.” While some stu
dents do get more than five hours of sleep, the question
remains, is this quality sleep? Parrish says the conditions
while sleeping definitely affect how much rest one’s body
actually gets. “They recommend that you sleep in a dark
room and that you have quiet,” Parrish said. “Of course,
residence halls don’t afford that at all, but that is the ideal
sleeping condition.”
With sleeping conditions not at a prime for students, and
Short-term effects can include memory
loss and difficult focusing, but if a lack of
sleep persists for a longer period of time,
more side effects are likely to occur.
-Kitty Parrish, director of Health Services
workloads increasing from classes, Elon stu
dents are struggling to stay awake.
If you are having difficulty staying awake, some good
sleeping tips include...
-Sleep in cool and dark conditions. This will provide bet
ter quality sleep.
-Get the same amount of sleep every night, even on
weekends.
-College students should get between 7-8 hours of sleep
per night in order to function to their full potential.
-Avoid exercise before bed time. Leave at least three
hours for your body to cool down.
-Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature.
*Tips provided by Katherine Parrish, director of Health
Services at Elon.
Contact Caitlyn Glascock atpendulim@elon.edu or 278-
7247.
ELON UNIVERSITY
Students
ON ALL HONDA
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
SERVICE
DEPT.
ilonda ^
BRING
GTON5SW87D
pnm
HOURS:
M'F 7:30-6:00
SAT. 8:00-1:00
TINA’S NAILS
SPECIALS!! SPECIALS!! SPECIALS!!
2551 S.Church St.
Burlington, NC 27215
(336) 584-1060
Shadowbrook Plaza
(Across from Eckerd’s)
Open 6 days a week
Mon. ■ Fri. 9am - 7pm
Sat. 9am ■ 6pm
Walk-Ins Welcome
Visa, Mastercard, & Clmcks Accepted
* Acrylic Nails
* Gel Nails
* Sculptured Nails
* Silk Wrap
* Manicure/Pedicure
* Nail Art
* Waxing/Facial
* Massage
15% off any service with a coupon
(Must prmont covpon at time of service]
Full Set-Acryllc
$20.00
reg. $25.00
Expires 2/1/O6
I
I
Fill In-Acrylic
$12.00
reg. $15.00
Expires 2/1/O6
I
Pedicure/Manicure |
$30.00 I
reg. $35.00 |
Expires 2/1/O6 ,
Gel&Silk Full Set
$35.00
reg. $45.00
Expires 2/1/O6