A recent study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology has determined people who experience constant difficulty in falling asleep have a 45 percent higher chance of heart attack then those who regularly fall asleep without trouble. This study is just one of many linking sleep disorders, such as insomnia, to cardiovascular problems, as well as a myriad of other health concerns.
Insomnia presents itself in two forms. The first is acute insomnia, which consists of short-term episodes of sleeplessness. Most people will experience this at some point in their lives as a result of stress or excitement. Chronic insomnia, however, can last anywhere from several months to several years. People with chronic insomnia will typically struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep several nights every week.
Insomnia is diagnosable and, more importantly, treatable with modern medicine and therapy. Often insomnia will onset during a major life event in an individual’s life, such as a marriage, divorce or job change. Certain lifestyles, particularly those involving high-pressure deadlines or extensive travel, can lead to insomnia. Insomnia may also be as a symptom of another illness or medical condition.
However, many people experiencing sleep difficulties do not necessarily suffer from insomnia. Occasionally, what seems to be insomnia might appear during periods of stress, such as college.
It comes as no shock college students are susceptible to sleep deprivation. With the demand of maintaining a GPA along with a social life, college students are no strangers to the “all-nighter.”
Harvard Medical School recently conducted a series of tests proving the danger of all-nighters. Its research compared students who had slept for eight hours and students who had stayed awake for 35 hours. It placed each student under an MRI scanner. The students were then shown a series of different pictures. The sleep-deprived students showed more intense emotional reactions to the pictures, illustrating the psychological effects of lack of sleep.
A healthy amount of sleep is a vital aspect to one’s psychological health. Elizabeth Kensinger, a professor in the psychology department at Boston College, said a lack of sleep can lead to psychological disorders.
“While we sleep, our brains release different neurotransmitters. Sleep deprivation causes imbalance of major neurotransmitters, which are often related to emotions and cognition,” Kensinger said.
Sleep deprivation can cause a lack in judgement and control of emotions. A lack of sleep can cloud a person’s judgement and lead to irrational logic or decisions. According to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscienceand conducted by Researchers at University of California, Berkeley, young adults who skip a night’s sleep receive a boost of dopamine, the neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and happiness.  While that may sound like a positive effect, this can lead to dangerous and risky behavior due to a surge of overly-optimistic emotions. Brain scans of sleep-deprived students showed stimulation of the brain pathway that regulates positive feelings, motivation, sex drive, addiction, cravings and decision making.
Sleep deprivation actually shuts down the prefrontal cortex, which contains key planning and decision-making regions. An all-nighter disrupts the necessary balance between rationality and impulsivity.
Young people with poor sleep habits are more than twice as likely to use drugs, tobacco or alcohol, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System.
The effects of one all-nighter are reversible by filling the following week with eight to 10 hours of sleep per night as well as occasional naps. However, there are long-term risks to frequent all-nighters. These dangers include reduced learning ability, increased likelihood of anxiety disorders, weight gain, increased risk of diabetes and possible brain damage.
The risks of an all-nighter are clear. While the obvious side effects such as drowsiness, a mild headache and irritability, are obvious to any student who has gone a sleepless night, the more serious side effects are startling.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep is essential for a person’s health and well being. The healthy adult body is designed to function for 16 hours of wakefulness. This means the body requires an average of eight hours of sleep per night.
Students often find an all-nighter inevitable. However, the risks might outweigh the benefits. A 2007 study from St. Lawrence University found students who regularly engage in all-nighters have lower GPAs than students with healthy sleep habits.
Pulling frequent all-nighters can also lead to insomnia, for which the health risks are extensive. Students should begin making healthy sleep decisions in life now rather than later. Dr. Michael J. Breus of WebMD said keeping track of sleep is a helpful way to treat sleep problems early in life.
“Keeping a journal or a log can help keeping regular track of bedtimes and wake times, as well as how you feel in the morning when you wake up, can give you a clear picture of how you’re really sleeping,” Breus said.
To develop healthy sleep habits, students must also focus on time management skills. Regular exercise as well as stress management can aid in receiving more sleep per night.
 Although the pressures of college seem insurmountable, the long term effects of all-nighters are much more serious than a student might think.