You’ve seen them: the ones with heads on their desks during class with drool threatening to spill from their gaping mouths, sliding in and out of sleep to the rhythmic motion of a nodding head. The ones who hide the fatigue behind multiple bottles of Red Bull, 5-hour energy drinks, and— the obvious— coffee.

And, of course, there are always those other ones who may even find glory in their lack of shut-eye with flippant comments of “Pulled another all-nighter” or “Stayed up until 2 am…again” while sporting the ever-attractive dark lines of sleeplessness, drowsy eyes, and weary half-smiles.

Unfortunately for the average student, college campuses serve as environments bred for sleep deprivation. The atmosphere allows for opportunity upon opportunity to fall short of the recommended eight hours of sleep. Between irregular schedules, crowded housing, late-night social interaction and exercise, abundant work load, and increased physiologic change including shifting sleep cycles in the transition from adolescence to adulthood, students rarely find time for a hearty slumber—or even a gentle beauty sleep.

According to the 2014 National College Health Assessment, only 11.9% of college students reported that they were getting enough sleep to feel rested in the morning in the past seven days. In addition, 60% of students reported that they feel tired, sleepy, or dragging at least three days a week.

The ultimate question, then, is why?

“I think a lot of it has to do with the new-found freedom you get in college. I mean, you can go to bed when you want,” JSC sophomore Nicole Menard says. “And there’s a lot of procrastinating on your work. Students have to pull all-nighters to get it done. It’s a time management thing, and we’re trying to figure it out while we’re young adults.”

Time management and other lifestyle choices play a huge factor in determining whether an individual gets the doctor-recommended eight hours of sleep each night.

“You want to make the most of what you can in college, but it seems like there’s never enough time in the day to do everything,” JSC student Gabi King declares. Between juggling a full schedule, two part-time jobs, playing on the women’s rugby team, and the usual load of homework, King claims that it’s hard to prioritize. “Sometimes you have to pick and choose, and you can definitely lose sleep because of it.”

On average, college students sleep about 75 minutes less than high school students, according to a recent article put out by Dove Medical Press. Is it a total surprise that the college students are not getting the right amount of sleep? Not so much. What is surprising, however, is the excessive amount of emotional and physical health risks that are coupled with that lack.

“We see in the short-term a lot of cognitive effects— reaction time, memory, concentration,” Kim Dacek, the nurse practitioner in JSC’s Health Center, says. Unfortunately, there are a lot of long-term effects, as well, such as anxiety, depression, hormonal changes, and hypertension. Regular sleep deprivation can have a snowballing, cyclical impact on future health— particularly mental health like anxiety, depression, and regular mood swings.

Mental repercussions prove to be a regular worry for sleep deprived college students. Studies published in the National Institutes of Health suggest that a decrease of sleep can be correlated with increased depressive tendencies, as well as suicidal tendencies. A screening project for suicide and depression at Emory University, students reported that 14.8% of students reported a diagnosis of depression. Further, 11% reported having suicidal ideation. While neither one is reported as being directly correlated with sleep deprivation, the studies go on to suggest they are not as far apart as they may seem.

The short-term effects of sleep deprivation may be reason for more worry, especially in the academic field.

During sleep, the brain organizes, sorts, and stores information to be recalled later on while simultaneously weeding out irrelevant information. Concentration deficiencies and a lack of memory can play out both in and out of the classroom setting.

“Academically, when I’m really tired, I might not end up finishing my homework,” King says. “And, emotionally, I’m just not there for the rest of the day.”

The risks of sleep deprivation go beyond the initial drowsiness and lack of attention, however. As the amount of sleep goes down, so does the immune system.

As an individual sleeps, the immune system releases proteins called cytokines which work to orchestrate responses to infection and signal the brain to alter physiological processes in order to properly fight the illness or infection— especially the common cold or flu. As a result of sleep deprivation, the body’s ability to fight infections and illness decreases, and recovery time may extend longer than usual.

There are two primary processes that govern how much sleep an individual obtains: the homeostatic sleep drive and the circadian rhythm. The former increases the need for sleep as the period of wakefulness increases, while the latter regulates sleeping and waking cycles. A full sleep cycle consists of five sleep stages: 1,2,3,4, and REM (rapid eye movement) before repeating again. The cycle helps to not only reenergize the body, but sort material from the previous day while preparing for the upcoming day. However, when deprived of the adequate elements of full sleep and regular sleep cycles, individuals can experience limited visual perceptual learning and decreased attentiveness.

Sleep before effective learning, then, is crucial. Further studies suggest that students who get a healthy amount of sleep perform better in the classroom. On the same note, “pulling an all-nighter” before exams is actually not the best plan for information recall and test performance.

So what’s the solution to the sleep deprivation that seemingly plagues the college student demographic?

“The answer is, unfortunately, really simple but necessarily easy to get to,” Dacek says. “Sleep is this active, vital process. There needs to be a general shift on campus to just allow for more sleep.” Dacek recommends following rules of sleep hygiene, such as keeping to a regular sleep schedule, regular exercise but not before bed, and avoiding large meals right before turning in for the night. She also advises avoiding stimulants right before bed, whether it’s caffeine, alcohol or other substances, or the television, computer, or phone screens that are present in every college student’s life.

“The increase of artificial light can lower the natural level of melatonin in your system. Melatonin is present to make you sleepy,” Dacek says. “So staring at your phone late at night and that sort of stuff can actually decrease how sleepy you are.”

Sleepiness is easily dependent on circumstances. Without the right atmosphere and allotting time for appropriate sleep, it simply will not come. Readjusting an entire schedule —whether it’s planning for classes that allow for sleeping occasions, changing job and activity availability, or simply prioritizing sleep in a busy day— ultimately proves to be significant.

The average college campus presents a jungle of hurdles that students have to get through— deadlines, jobs, sports, and social life— while still being able to function. It’s no easy choice to schedule in proper sleep and consciously change lifestyle patterns, but it is a necessary choice for maximum health, happiness, and ultimate success.