Students returning from a lazy winter break will soon be thrust back into the busy, late-night college lifestyle. In this installment of "By the Numbers," the Daily looks at how tiring students' schedules can get.
8.5-9.25 Recommended hours of sleep per night for adolescents (ages 18-25)25% Percentage of adolescents who report actually sleeping that much45% Percentage of adolescents who report sleeping less than 8 hours per night
11% Percentage of college students who report regularly getting good nights of sleep15% Percentage of college students who report regularly experiencing poor quality sleep3/4 Approximate fraction of college students who reported occasional sleep problems
11:40 p.m. Average bedtime reported by college students on weekdays1:15 a.m. Average bedtime reported by college students on weekends
7:42 a.m. Average wake time reported by college students on weekdays9:45 a.m. Average wake time reported by college students on weekends
100,000 Number of car accidents each year in which fatigue or drowsiness are identified as a principle cause1,500 Number of Americans killed in those accidents75,000 Number of Americans injured in those accidents
60% Percentage of Americans between 18-29 years old who report driving drowsy in the past year24% Percentage of Americans between 18-29 years old who report dozing off at the wheel in the past year
55% Percentage of Americans in the 18-29 demographic who report postponing bedtime in order to watch TV or use the Internet36% Percentage of that demographic who have trouble getting up in the morning for work or school20% Percentage of Americans between 30-64 years old who reported difficulty waking up in the morning
75% Percentage of Americans in the 18-29 demographic who say they've never been asked about their sleep by a physician12% Percentage of Americans in that demographic who report asking physicians about the issue themselves
26% Percentage of Americans in that demographic who report using alcohol, which tends to disrupt sleep patterns, as an aide to help them sleep75% Percentage of adolescents who report drinking at least one caffeinated beverage daily
The information cited above comes from the National Sleep Foundation, "A Survey of Factors Influencing High School Start Times" by Wolfson and Carskadon, et. al., and "Sleep habits and patterns of college students: a preliminary study," by Buboltz, Brown and Soper.
