16
Feature
thursday, february 3, 2011
www.thegatewayonline.ca
Restless illustrated by derrick nguyen
Most students have trouble getting enough sleep. But a rising number of students have problems sleeping at all. Insomnia can be crippling when you’re trying to keep up with your classes. Mariana Ionova of The
Eyeopener investigates, looking at the long-term consequences and possible treatments available to those who pull all-nighters, even when they don’t have to.
A
t 4 a.m., Justin Bull is still feverishly typing away at his computer, trying to tire his mind into submission with an assignment that isn’t due for weeks. His eyes are bloodshot and his lids are heavy, but sleep is almost impossible. The second-year computer science student has spent countless nights like this since he developed insomnia four years ago. Bull had been a straight-A student in high school, but within a few months of developing the disorder, he became so sleep deprived that he couldn’t focus on anything. Soon, his grades began slipping. “I don’t know how I even got the marks to get into university.” Even though he was accepted into Ryerson, his sleep problems intensified as essays and assignments began piling up. His insomnia came in spurts and bouts. He could sleep normally for days and then go for a full week with barely a nap. No matter how exhausted, he found himself suddenly becoming alert and unable to halt his racing thoughts at night. “It’s this sudden burst of energy around [midnight], as if I’ve had coffee, even though I haven’t.” Sleep disturbances are among the most common problems plaguing university students, who often toss and turn with anxiety about their course work, their jobs, or their social lives. About a third of students report occasional difficulty falling or staying asleep, and between