Sophomore's struggle with lack of sleep continues

College might be the only time when it is acceptable to stay up until 3 a.m. watching Friends on television, eating snacks or listening to your roommate play guitar, even when you have to wake up for an 8 a.m. class.

Although this happens often, this does not mean it is at all healthy for us to do. Since college started I have developed what a normal person would say is the typical addiction of a college student: the caffeine addiction.

The normal run to Dunkin in the morning to get my cup of coffee quickly turned into two cups, then three.

Some days I even have four.

I realized that although coffee is said to be good for your brain and helps you get a boost of energy, it does have side effects.

Since I began drinking coffee I have suffered from sleep deprivation.

I have difficulties trying to fall and stay asleep.

Sleep is usually the first thing I sacrifice when I do not have enough hours in the day to do everything I need or want to do.

Though a normal adult should be getting eight hours of sleep a night, I would be getting only six.

I have gotten used to running on six hours of sleep or less.

Heightened stress is the second side effect I am feeling.

As college students we are already stressed, so having more stress factored in does not help on top of not being able to be on a normal sleep schedule.

I know before you go to college you hear about the dreadful all-nighters for finals and big exams, but it should not become a habit.

We take those eight hours we should spend sleeping for granted and waste them by trying to watch all 10 seasons of "Friends" or cramming for that big history midterm.

Even though those things are important to us in the moment, we do not realize the next day we will be getting our usual coffee at Dunkin trying to get us through the day so we can do the same thing all over again.

I know now I should make a better effort on to cut down on the caffeinated drinks and more time trying to de-stress. In the end I know I need to value sleep more in my life over the things I have prioritized.

Amanda Boyer is a sophomore public relations major from Hillsborough, N.J. She can be reached at amanda.boyer@student.shu. edu.