BY LANCE BANDLEY
lance@newsroom.byu.edu
Sleeping is to many at BYU a word that becomes extinct a few days into the school year.
For some its because of school and work. For others it may be a problem with friends and roommates. Some people have medical conditions, which leave them lying awake in bed staring at the ceiling.
According the National Sleep Foundation, around 50 million Americans suffer from sleeping disorders. And a survey conducted by the NSF shows 40 percent of adults are so sleepy during the day that their daily activities are inhibited in some form.
The NSF said that these numbers should cause concern for parents, educators, safety experts and employers.
Some sleeping problems are brought on by poor sleeping habits, but some can come from sleeping disorders.
Former BYU student Heather Hardman of Orem said she had problems since returning from her mission and with working strange hours.
Hardman had the problem for more than two years and then decided to go to a doctor. Her doctor suggested she take a sleep oximetry test, which measures oxygen in the blood.
'When I talked to him a couple of days later after taking the test, he said he didn't want to alarm me, but my results were some of the worst he had ever seen,' Hardman said.
Hardman found she suffers from a condition called Restless Leg Syndrome. She now takes medication to help calm her nerve centers of the brain so she can sleep.
Other BYU students said their sleeping habits didn't change until they came to BYU. Kylee Shields, a sophomore from Orem, said she pushed her sleeping limits more and more when she became a student at BYU.
She said most nights she didn't get to bed until 1 or 2 in the morning because of roommates, homework, and life.
Shields has since moved home and said her sleeping habits have changed.
'Now that I'm living at home I seem to have a more regular schedule and take better care of myself,' Shields said.
Sandra Cherrington, a freshman from Orem, lives at home with her family and tries to be in bed by 10:30 p.m. during the week. On the weekend she said its normal for her to stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning.
Doug Johnson, a former BYU student, is self-employed so weekdays and weekends are the same to him.
He said he gets to bed at 1 or 2 in the morning everyday and wakes up at 9 o'clock.
'I don't sleep in because I work for myself,' Johnson said. 'It's just that I'm not a morning person.'
While most students try to push the limits staying up at night, lack of sleep can result in serious consequences.
According to the NSF a lack of sleep and sleeping problems can have life threatening consequences and a significant impact on productivity.
While students may try to stay up to accomplish more, the greatest help may come from just going to bed.