"6 hours of sleep is ideal for a busy college student"

Question

I chose to fact check the claim that “6 hours of sleep is ideal for a busy college student”. First off, without even reading this persons claim or their article, I partially disagree. I believe that for anyone, especially busy college students, getting 8 hours or more of sleep is vital. It’s better for brain cognition and energy. Now, reading this claim, I see that this person is actually going back on their original thought. In the article that they linked, “How Much Sleep Should a College Student Get?”, my original claim is confirmed that “the average sleep that college students should get is 7-8 hours a night in order to be productive during a busy day”. Not only does getting 6 hours of sleep a night disrupt your ability to think throughout the day, your REM production and circadian rhythms are messed with and decreased. A study at Cornell Health says that “seven to nine hours is most beneficial for students to avoid daytime drowsiness, altered mood states, weight gain, poor health, and low energy”. I know that academics, the changing of styles and lifestyle changes, and social adjustment play a factor in this lack of sleep, but as a busy college student myself, getting 7-8+ hours of sleep a night is needed.

Answer 1

After consulting with my roommates who are very busy college students, and who usually get 7-8 hours of sleep, asking how they would feel if they only got 6 hours was a shock to them. They said that they would be extremely fatigued and not be able to do anything that day. In the "Psychosocial Correlates of Insomnia Among College Students" it says that college students need at least 7-9 hours of sleep to be able to function properly. With the amount of homework and class, as well as the things they need to do on a day to day bases, 6 hours of sleep would not be beneficial. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2022/22_0060.htm#:~:text=The%20National%20Sleep%20Foundation%20and,sleep%20per%20night%20(2).

Comments

I like how you consulted with your roommates, but that may not be a reliable source because those two college students may need more or less sleep than the average college student. I do agree though with your source and that seems very reputable.

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I think that it was a great move to consult with a real-life source before moving to the internet to find a health source that backs this claim up, but I also do believe that two people is a small sample size. I do believe that some students are busier than others, and depending on mental and physical exertion throughout the day, sleep can be a tool that is used by some people a little more than others. Personally, sleeping for six hours a day as a busy college student does not sound sufficient enough to boost my productivity throughout my daily life.

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I like how you asked your roommates, 2 people who would know how the experience would affect them. I do agree that 6 hours of sleep may not be beneficial to some people, I believe that for other 6 hours may be more than enough. I think it's different for different people.

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Consulting with your roomates as well as CDC information shows both medical acendotes and personal anecdotes.

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I really liked how you included personally gathered information by consulting your college roommates to get their perspective in your answer. Backing up this information with credible sources and trustworthy facts made this a very solid fact check. To further support this claim I have found this source to back up your argument.
From my personal life as a college student I aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and feel most prepared with 9, if I were to only get 6 hours of sleep a night I would feel debilitatingly tired.
https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/sleeping-to-succeed/#:~:text=The%20optimal%20amount%20of%20sleep,night%20for%20college%2Daged%20populations.

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I like that you used personal experience as well as a source to answer this claim. Your claim might be better though if you get a smaller sample size.

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Great Job fact checking. Using real people who are knowledgeable on the subject (actual college students who sleep) is a great resource and choice. Furthermore, to improve your fact check next time, you could explain why the source you cited is credible. You cite the CDC- are they particularly knowledgable on sleep? Additionally, you could improve your fact checking with specific reasoning. You establish that students need more than 6 hours of sleep- but why? You could add in details regarding why students benefit from more sleep. For instance, the article you linked explains that getting 9+ hours of sleep has benefits like restoring neural connections and assisting in optimal emotional control.

Answer 2

Seven to 9 hours is ideal for people from the ages of 18 and up/ typical college aged students. Getting under 7 hours of sleep affects you both mentally and physically. 6 hours of sleep every night is considered being sleep deprived.

https://health.cornell.edu/resources/health-topics/sleep

Comments

This claim is correct, I think using a source as reliable as Cornell university helped the reasoning and reliability of this statement. I think that sleep deprivation being at 6 hours isn't consistent with the data found in the article. This "deprivation" is more likely from 3-4 hours and can be supplemented with 30-60 minute "power" naps.

Answer 3

The claim suggests that 6 hours of sleep is enough for college students to be at their best. This stands out because there's a lot of research on sleep needs, especially for young adults juggling academic, social and work commitments. The source, Cornell, referenced is a reputable institution, and its health program provides research backed advice for college students' wellness. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) similarly advocates for 7-9 hours for young adults, linking sleep deprivation to cognitive impairments, which is relevant for students needing focus and memory retention. The claim that 6 hours is ideal for college students isn't supported by reliable sources. According to Cornell Health and AASM, young adults need 7-9 hours to maintain their cognitive and physical health, which is super important for busy college students. Getting fewer than 7 hours consistently can disrupt REM cycles, weaken memory and increase stress. https://aasm.org/college-students-getting-enough-sleep-is-vital-to-academic-success/