Introduction: Sleep in College

College: a great time for learning, partying, hanging out, meeting people, and -lets face it- not getting as much sleep as we’d like.  Many college students study for exams (all-nighters anyone?) and do homework during the week, then spend most of the weekend trying to catch up on lost sleep. But what is sleep exactly? As far as many people are concerned it is what you do when you are tired, where you dream, and a cycle that consists of NREM and REM sleep waves throughout the night. This blog will elaborate on this question and aim to demonstrate the many aspects of sleep and how it relates to our lives way more than we think.  We will discuss some important facts and information regarding the type of sleep you are getting, how it is affecting your memory, and the effects that drugs and alcohol have on both of these topics.  Even if you are a sleep-conscious student and believe you are getting enough sleep- there is still a lot to learn! Subjectively, many people believe they have gotten enough sleep or do not feel as sleepy as they appear. However, if you find yourself immediately falling asleep at night or having trouble concentrating in classes, then, objectively, there may be a lot more happening with your sleep cycle.