College students who do not manage their time well may experience sleep deprivation. This is a typical problem for many college students, and it can have a detrimental influence on their general health and academic performance.
College students with poor time management abilities, particularly in organization, may have poor sleep quality. According to research conducted at The University of Alabama, a lack of time management skills, particularly in organization, can lead to poor sleep quality among college students.
Dr. Adam Knowlden, associate professor of health science in the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences, studied time management and how it affects sleep health in full-time college students in the areas of goal setting and prioritization, time management mechanics, and organizational preference.
“College students tend to deal with lifestyle-related sleep problems,” Knowlden explained. “Balancing academic and social obligations, for example, can be difficult for college students.” Stress and worry have an impact on college students, and we know that stress can impair sleep quality by producing insomnia.”
College students tend to deal with lifestyle-related sleep problems. Balancing academic and social obligations, for example, can be difficult for college students.” Stress and worry have an impact on college students, and we know that stress can impair sleep quality by producing insomnia.
Dr. Adam Knowlden
According to Knowlden, more than 65% of college students have poor sleep quality. The study, which was just published in the American Journal of Health Education, discovered that the three-time management aspects had a substantial influence on the overall sleep quality of college students. According to Knowlden, time management accounted for around 20% of the sleep quality outcomes studied.
“Having a preference for organization was the most important factor influencing sleep quality,” Knowlden said. “This suggests that people who prioritize and maintain an organized environment have better sleep quality.”
Knowlden, who has also conducted sleep health studies related to body composition and stress, says time management strategies should be learned and implemented prior to the start of the school year.
“We are aware that there is a tradition of college students staying up late, sometimes for an entire 24 hours, to study or cram for exams,” Knowlden explained. “This is a tell-tale sign that more emphasis on time management is required. However, no study has looked directly at time management to assess how much effect it has on college students’ sleep. We thought it was important to look into this because time management is something that college students can focus on improving.”
Knowlden suggests scheduling eight to nine hours of sleep as the most important appointment of the day.
“We know that during sleep is when learning takes place,” said Knowlden. “You can think of your mind like a computer. When we sleep, our brain is getting rid of information it doesn’t need, and keeping information it does need. This is why students that prioritize sleep do better academically.”
