If you're walking around a college campus on your way to an 8 a.m., chances are you're carrying a cup of coffee with you. College students typically drink coffee to either wake up or to stay awake.
Temple University Junior Danielle Laval says that “People aren't kidding when they say caffeine is a drug. If caffeine was heroin, college campuses would look like Kensington.” When asked why she thinks caffeine is so addicting she added, “It’s like this never-ending cycle of caffeine; I’ll drink it to stay up to finish assignments but then I can't sleep well so when I wake up I need more coffee.”
John Hopkins Medicine Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit states that it is estimated that in North America between 80 and 90 percent of adults and children habitually consume caffeine.
The Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry conducted a study which evaluated 21 children on the effects caffeine has on learning, performance, and anxiety in normal school-age children. The results of the study concluded that caffeine enhanced the children's performance on short-term tests of attention and on a motor task; however, there was an apparent trend toward increased levels of self-reported anxiety and restlessness at night after caffeine consumption.
Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital’s Sleep & Research Center and Wayne State College of Medicine discovered that caffeine consumed as early as six hours before bedtime still significantly disrupts sleep.
Holy Family University freshman Colleen Kelly reports “I stopped drinking all caffeine three and a half years ago but since I started college I have drunk it every day and it’s still not enough to keep me awake. The only side effects I get are anxiety and sometimes if I drink it later I have trouble falling asleep.”
Nicole L. Olsen, a marketing major at Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics states in her thesis Caffeine Consumption Habits and Perceptions among University of New Hampshire Students that college students in today’s society have become dependent on caffeine in order to perform at their best in multiple facets of their hectic lives, including classes, clubs, and internships.
Colleen later went on to say, “When I started drinking coffee again I drank a little less than a small cup. Since then I basically tripled the amount I drink and sometimes that's not even enough to get me through the day.”
Another freshman at Holy Family University, Gianna Griffin, stated, “If I don't drink at least three cups of coffee in the morning I can't function.”
The American Heart Association claims that caffeine-habituated individuals can experience "caffeine withdrawal" 12–24 hours after the last dose of caffeine. The most prominent symptom is a headache. They can also feel anxiety, fatigue, drowsiness and depression.
Kicking a caffeine habit can be tough, especially for hard-working, full-time college students; but the good news is there are many ways to stay awake and alert that don’t involve jeopardizing your health such as keeping a set sleep schedule, exercising, and consuming healthier foods.
“To counter the need for a powerful caffeine kick each morning, I simply had to tweak some personal behaviors, which ultimately have made me a much healthier, more productive and more emotionally grounded person.” — Alexander C. Kaufman. Senior Business Editor, The Huffington Post.
