Repercussions of late nights

Rising Trend

For many years now, the late-night culture has been a major part of any college student’s life. The reasons, of course, vary from person to person — from the completion of assignments due the next morning to the TV show marathons they embark on — there’s always something more fascinating than the uninviting bed.

What students do not realise, though, are the implications of following this
sleep-deprived routine on a daily basis.

There is the obvious damage of low attendance, which is a serious issue at colleges that require a high percentage. But making it to college either exhausted or hungover from the previous night is not helpful for the students either. Metrolife speaks to
concerned individuals on this issue. 

The one major noticeable problem is time management, which college students find quite hard.

“As an MBA student, my college life starts at 8 am and I get done with classes only by 4.30 pm. After that, I just hang out with my buddies and we catch up on our
day-to-day issues and have a good time. We really cannot keep a track of the time that goes by and it becomes difficult to go home early. I only reach home at 11 pm and this affects my sleep, as I hardly get to sleep for four or five hours a day. This creates physical as well as mental stress for me when I head for college the next day,” confesses Vishnu Raj, a student of CMRIT.

However, not all students face this situation. Sitarah, a student of Mount Carmel PU College, seems to have struck a reasonable balance.

 “After college hours, I have tuitions. Then I go home, relax, watch TV, spend time with family, do my homework and go to sleep,” she shares. “I sleep late only during exams. Otherwise, I get an average of six to eight hours of sleep.”

While a lot of faculty members of colleges may frown upon the trend of sleeping late, there are others who are more accepting of it.

 “Until and unless the students’ enjoyment doesn’t harm anyone, it’s fine. Life is too short and we never get back our student life. It’s the time to party and bond with friends and I am for it,” says Ramya, a lecturer in the department of biotechnology and genetics, M S Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce.

However, not everyone is as tolerant. “Kids these days are too glued to screens. If they’re not busy watching television or wasting time on Facebook, they’re getting drunk somewhere. The whole point of academics in college seems to be forgotten,” says Radhika Sancheti, a parent.

The need for sleep cannot be ignored, especially from a health point of view. “When a wrong note is placed in a musical performance, you can perceive that something went wrong even if you’re not an expert. In the same way, when we put our

system out of sync and break our natural rhythm repeatedly, it has an impact on our efficiency in everything we do,” concludes Dinesh Kashikar, a yoga and meditation teacher.