Campbell 1

Blake Campbell
Ms. Hofmann
ENGL 1102 037
April 21, 2014
Note to Reader: This draft includes fixes to some grammatical errors. I added a voice
from another student/friend into the paper to help convey my point. The Brown University
citation is now properly cited in the works cited. Some sentences were re-written to make the
paper more formal. Finally, some words have been replaced with more descriptive ones and
other small changes (commas added, etc).
Stress and Insomnia in College Students
We live in a world where knowledge is valued more than anything, and as a college
student I can certainly agree. I have spent countless nights working on assignments and studying
for tests. Those nights I often lose sleep and struggle to stay awake the next day. With school
work, a social life and high expectations from society, it is no surprise that I am stressed. My
case is not unique; however, there are many alike and compared to theirs, mine is laughable.
With all the tasks of being a college student it is easy to lose track of ones own health. I realized
this once I began sleeping more during my spring break. I noticed that I felt more energetic and
more willing to do things. This phenomenon sparked my interest and began my epic journey on
researching how stress effects our sleep.
Insomnia. We have all heard of it and how much it can affect our health. The Nation
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines insomnia as a Common sleep disorder. The Institute
Campbell 2

also claims that people who have insomnia Have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both.
If this sounds like you, do not worry, a study by Brown University show you are in the 89% of
college students who struggle with sleep. There are many reasons to miss out on sleep, but no
matter how much you deny it, your health will catch up to you.
There are two types of insomnia. There is primary insomnia and secondary insomnia.
Both types have the same symptoms, but different causes. Primary insomnia seems to come
without warning and last for at least a month. Researchers are confused on why they happen, but
most come to agree that primary insomnia has to do with genetics. Secondary insomnia is
something we know way more about. It is caused by anything that is not genetic. Things like
asthma, depression, arthritis and stress (WebMD) can contribute to insomnia and prevent a good
nights sleep. I remember last Christmas Eve I was so excited to see people open their presents I
bought them (I know I am getting older). That night I was wide awake and no matter how hard
I tried I could not fall asleep. The anxiety I was feeling caused secondary insomnia, which
caused my lack of sleep. This relates to college students when they are nervous about a test or
cannot stop thinking about a paper they have to write. My friend Jeff always says, Ill sleep
when Im dead. A lot of people say this, but the idea that there are more important things to do
than sleep is an obvious problem among college students and people alike.
Besides primary and secondary insomnia, there are two other types that relate to time.
Acute insomnia is a short term form of insomnia and happens on certain occasions. This type of
insomnia can range from a day to a few days. Things like stress, sickness and physical
discomfort can cause acute insomnia. The other form is insomnia in the long term or chronic
insomnia. Depression and chronic stress usually cause this type of insomnia and it lasts as long
as the cause (Miller, Lyle, and Alma Smith). For example, if a person is losing sleep because of
Campbell 3

their depression, they will continue to lose sleep until their depression is resolved. College
students are not as known for chronic insomnia as they are for acute insomnia. This is because
the stressors of college are usually short term. Once that test is over or Friday has finally come,
the insomnia lessons; however, acute insomnia can turn into chronic insomnia if left unchecked.
When I research all this information on insomnia a certain term kept popping up stress.
I knew stress was a major player in the insomnia world, so I began to look up more about it. I did
this in hopes of helping myself and other college students identify and solve our sleep problem.
This is what I found: According to the American Psychological Association, there are three types
of stress. The first type is acute stress, which is most common. This type of stress is short term
and often easily identified. Because acute stress does not happen for long it usually does not tax
your body; however, if you see yourself always experiencing acute stress then you have moved
on to the next stage episodic acute stress. This stress type is short term, but happens all the time.
These people are always worried about something. Nothing ever goes right for them and they are
never relaxed. This can be very dangerous to the body because it does not have time to recover. I
used to know someone like this in high school. He was always looking around and constantly
talking like he is being chased. I did not know the whole situation, but I knew enough to identify
that he was a stressed out guy. The final type of stress is chronic stress. This type of stress is
nothing like the previous two. There is no panic and it relates to depression. The people who
experience this type of stress feel there is no way out of their situation and it is really damaging
to the body. Stress uses a lot of the bodys resources and when it is constantly being used, the
result is death.
The most common type of stress among college students is chronic stress. This comes
from due dates, pressure from our parents, making our next payment and meeting for our next
Campbell 4

interview. These things are short term, but happen quite often which is not good. We know that
insomnia and stress are linked, so increasing the frequency of acute stress is devastating to sleep.
With less sleep we lose the ability for the body to replenish energy, which is used for stress. That
means if you are not getting enough sleep you could be damaging your body by being stressed.
In college it is easy to be distracted by tasks. You could be going from having acute stress
to episodic acute stress if do not keep yourself in check. If you remember, episodic acute stress
means you are not always stressed, but you have it quite often. If it happens to often you may
become unaware and it may turn into chronic stress. From what I found, chronic stress is very
serious and very difficult to fix.
Jumping off a cliff is no different than not getting enough sleep. The difference is that not
getting enough sleep is a slow and painful killer, while the cliff is instant. The National Sleep
foundation recommends 8 hours of sleep each night. The exception is if you have had too much
or not enough sleep the previous night. If you slept for 10 hours yesterday you can consider a 5
hour nap. This goes the other way too. If you only got 6 hours of sleep the previous night try to
sleep 10 hours the next. This system will keep your sleep balanced and free from drowsiness.
So what happens when you do not get that 7 hours of sleep? Web MD, a medical journal,
says that in the short term you can expect decreased alertness, memory and cognitive
impairments, stress and overall poor quality of life. In the long term there are more serious health
issues. Things like high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, obesity and mental impairment are
all linked to lack of sleep. When I read this for the first time I was shocked. Who knew sleep was
so critical to life? It makes you think twice before you decide to stay up for just a few more hours.
Campbell 5

So you are stressed and you know it, but how do other people still manage? Well, these
people often have coping mechanisms. These methods could help them with the stress or sleep
itself. When I feel stressed I remove myself from the situation (if possible). I then do something
to relax, like take a shower. My mechanism of coping is just one of many. Fostering Resilience,
an organization that helps kids and teens with challenging times, mentions that there are
people who use cigarettes, alcohol, aggression and complete isolation to cope. These methods
provide temporary relief that are often abused. The best thing you can do to reduce stress is sleep.
It is a fact that you are easily agitated when you are tired. If you are more awake you can tackle
problems with ease. When it is late and I am working on something, I feel might heart rage and I
become impatient. Small stuff like my dog barking will have me cursing like a sailor at 1 oclock
in the morning. To avoid these circumstances, you should probably go to bed when you are tired.
Now we know sleep is important, but how can we get more of it? Falling asleep can be
difficult at times and we often take it for granted. The first step is to be aware that your sleep is
not where is should be. Once awareness has been stated you can plan for more sleep. My last
class on Tuesday ends at 12:15 pm. If I have a lot of homework I start as soon as I get home. I
continue doing homework until it is time for bed. Making sure I have at least 7 hours of sleep,
my bedtime is at 10 pm. This leaves me an hour to fall asleep. My little plan works most of time
and it is nothing special. I feel way better when I am awake and I am not tired throughout the day.
My words cannot describe the words and it should rather be experienced for yourself.
Sometimes falling asleep can be difficult. Stress is the main culprit, but what if your
stress is managed? Odds are your insomnia is either genetic or comes from a surplus of energy.
Think about it. You eat and drink, so your body expects to use that energy through activity. If
your body is not getting enough activity, there is less need to sleep to replenish resources. This is
Campbell 6

also how it is linked to weight gain. Health.gov suggest 30 minutes of activity a day, every day.
The more energy you spend the more willing you are to be tired at the end of the day. I
remember when I played soccer in high school, my coach would often make us run till we
literally threw-up (he was fired). He was not my favorite coach, but I never had any trouble
falling asleep those nights.
Counting sheep. The most basic way to fall asleep, right? The idea behind counting sheep
works in theory. With the mind occupied on something else, sleep is more likely to happen. It all
comes down to your ability to detach. I learned in my psychology class (taught by Al Maisto at
the University of North Carolina at Charlotte) that peoples schizophrenic levels help with stress.
If you can easily detach from reality, then you are more likely to fall asleep. If you think about
your problems all the time, your sleep will suffer. So how well can you manage your stress?
Whatever you do, do not let your stress effect your sleep. With repetition, these two forces will
get worse and worse over time.
Remember why you are going to school. You are going so you can have a better life in
the future. Well, your life is now! Make sure to take of your body by sleeping. If you cannot
manage it now it will only get worse as you grow older. Manage your stress and get enough
sleep. Following those rules will get you far in life (as in your actual life span). As long as you
are aware of the relationship between stress and sleep, you will likely improve. People who are
unaware are more likely to find out the hard way. So do yourself a favor and take a nap!




Campbell 7




Works Cited
Wilner, Andrew. "Insomnia in College Students Is Associated With Poor Mental
Health.."Neuropsychiatry Reviews. 8.8 (2007): 19-19. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Chanin, Louis. N.p.. Web. 23 Mar 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/sleep-
disorders/guide/insomnia-symptoms-and-causes?page=1>.

Bernert, Rebecca A., et al. "Family Life Stress And Insomnia Symptoms In A Prospective
Evaluation Of Young Adults." Journal Of Family Psychology 21.1 (2007): 58-66.
PsycARTICLES. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.
Explore Insomnia. Department of Health and Human Services . n. page. Print.
<http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/inso/printall-index.html>.
Mayo Clinic Staff . "Stress management." Chronic stress puts your health at risk. (2013): n. page.
Print. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-
20046037>.
"Sleep." Health Education. Brown University, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/common_c
ollege_health_issues/sleep.php>.
Ginsburg KR, Jablow MM. Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and
Wings. 2nd ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2011
Nutrition and Your Health. Health.gov. Fourth Edition, 1995. U.S. Department of Agriculture &
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web. December 1995.
Goldberg, Joseph, ed. "Tips to Reduce Stress and Sleep Better." WebMD. WebMD, LLC, 13 Dec
2013. Web. 8 Apr 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/tips-reduce-
stress>.
Miller, Lyle, and Alma Smith. "Stress: The different kinds of stress." American Psychological
Association. APA, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2104. <https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-
kinds.aspx>.