While students are busy studying for midterms, one unspoken factor might have a bigger effect on results than expected – sleep.

According to a 2003 study conducted by the American College Health Association, the total amount of sleep college students get per night has decreased from 7.5 hours in 1980 to 6.9 hours in recent years.

Naturally, students who have jobs will feel the effects of late nights more than others as they have less time to do homework.

Edward Gonzalez, freshman in LAS, works at Late Night PAR – a Dining Services program that offers students food and drinks after the cafeteria meal serving hours. He said the job has definitely influenced his schedule. As often as possible he tries to do homework before work, but there isn’t always time and the homework is put off.

“Several times I have stayed up until 3 and 4 a.m. in the middle of the week doing homework,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said he knows nighttime studying is ineffective and feels it the next morning because he is drowsy during morning classes, but he is dependent on the money – he is paying his own way through college.

Reinier Pualengco, sophomore in LAS and one of the Late Night student coordinators at PAR, shares a lot of Gonzalez’s feelings. Pualengco said he often stays up all night after work because he has to do homework and struggles to get up in the morning. Like Gonzalez, Pualengco said he feels drained and occasionally falls asleep in class.

Both Gonzalez and Pualengco said that having a job in addition to their studies has taught them to better appreciate academic success and be more responsible and productive. They said they do not think their job has lowered their academic performance, but said they definitely have to work harder for what they have.

“It’s frustrating to constantly have to squeeze the most out of every second,” Pualengco said.

Linda Cox, director of the counseling center at McKinley Health Center, pointed out the importance of getting enough sleep, especially for college students. She said that lack of sleep, in addition to lowered concentration and intellectual sharpness, could lead to depression, intolerance and emotional instability. This will lower academic performance, she said.

Cox said many students have to stay up late because of work and other things but warned against making it a habit because it is important not only to get enough sleep but also rhythmic sleep she said, which is to go to bed and awaken at approximately the same times – even on weekends.

“This trains the mind and body in relaxation,” she said.

It is a myth that one can catch up on sleep with naps and on weekends, she said – they cannot replace a consistent eight hours of sleep per night because it is a less quality sleep.

“Time management is extremely important,” she said. “Inconsistent sleep is restless sleep.”