With all of the technology available in today’s world, it really is no surprise to discover many college students are awake in the early hours of the morning surfing the Internet, texting and playing video games. Between computers, smart phones and gaming consoles, students face an abundance of technological temptations.

“I spend probably 10 hours a day [using technology],” said student Tyler Austin. “I go to sleep around midnight and get about seven hours of sleep a night.”

Student Megan Kingsley said she tries not to stay up late at night.

“I have a couple of friends who stay up until 4 a.m. and get up at 8 a.m. to come (to UNA),” Kingsley said. “I probably get about five hours of sleep a night during the week and about six hours on the weekends.”

Students need to pay close attention to what they are doing with their nighttime sleep cycles, said Paulette Alexander, department chair of computer information systems and computer science.

“College students have always had a tendency to have odd sleep cycles,” Alexander said. “We know that students stay up late for a lot of reasons, but apparently added to those reasons are talking on the phone, texting, gaming and surfing.”

There is research showing that the presence of light – especially light from a computer screen – can disrupt students’ sleep and stimulate awakeness, Alexander said.

Statistically, students need at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, said Debbie Dinges, a nurse practitioner at Center Star Family Practice in Center Star, Ala. She said that not enough sleep can cause many health problems.

“Sleep deprivation can cause high blood pressure, lack of concentration, irritability and moodiness,” Dinges said. “It can contribute to obesity, heart disease and daytime sleepiness. It can also kind of mimic sleep apnea.”

Not enough sleep could cause a student to experience symptoms similar to those of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“I have lots of students come in and think they have ADHD, because they have lack of focus and concentration,” Dinges said. “But they are really just very sleep deprived.”

Sleep-deprived students will have problems focusing in class, said Gregory Carnes, dean of the College of Business.

“In my business classes I teach senior-level students,” Carnes said. “They have to be able to think and if they don’t get enough sleep, then they can’t think and will not do well in my classes.”

Carnes said he has heard of computer programs parents can use to restrict the time kids spend on the computer.

“Students can download similar programs and set restrictions,” Carnes said. “But the problem is they can always go in and change the restrictions, since they are the ones that set them. However, it is a good tool that can help students track how much time they spend on the computer.”

It is important for college students to have good time management skills, Alexander said.

“It’s tough,” Alexander said, “You’ve got to be in class, you’ve got to be able to do your out of class homework, you want to have your activities and your social life and then you need to sleep. When you start adding it up, something has got to give, and many times college students decide that the thing that gives is the sleep.”