Monday, August 21, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 13
Caffeine buzzes cause problems
By Livi Regenbaum
Special to the Kansar
Weary students facing all-night cram sessions often
turn to caffeine pills.
But according to Randall Rock, a Watkins Memornal Health Center physician, that habit can be dangerous to students' health.
"Caffeine pills can cause fast heart rate, irritability and sleep deprivation," he said.
"I took caffeine pills a couple of times," Kuribayashi said. "At first they were very effective, but then they became ineffective."
Under pressure, Kuribayashi popped more caffeine pills to try to make the effect stronger.
"Since the regular dose of pills did not work, I ended up taking twice the amount and became very sick," Kuribayashi said. "I felt completely dizzy and could not function. I realized that they were not good for my health and never took the drug again."
Kuribayashi used the over-the-counter drug known as Vivarin. A 200 mg Vivarin pill contains as much caffeine as two cups of brewed coffee. Lynn Irvin, staff pharmacist at Watkins, said Vivarin has potential unpleasant side effects.
"Vivarin can cause stomach upset, insomnia, restlessness, irritability and nausea." Irvin said.
Rock said he had seen several students who had abused caffeine pills.
"With the hectic schedules of students trying to balance work and school, it is not uncommon for students to use high amounts of caffeine." Rock said.
Rock said he had even seen students who had missed exams because of using caffeine pills.
"Some students who have taken a lot of caffeine pills have been unable to sleep before a test, and then they are unable to concentrate," Rock said. "If someone takes too much caffeine, it can be problematic to their performance. Instead of heightening alertness, it can often bring about heightened anxiety and irritability." Rock said that caffeine pills could be potentially dangerous to people with an underlying heart disease and to those who are bothered by caffeine. It especially can affect those with anxiety disorders.
Grace Chang, a recent KU graduate, had a bad experience with caffeine pills and was awake for three days.
"I took caffeine pills when I was studying for tough exams," Chang said. "The problem with them is that I could not sleep for three days because your body wants to go to sleep, but your mind is awake."
Rock advises students to try not to depend on caffeine.
"Caffeine is unpredictable," Rock said. "As you are chartering your game plan for success, do not let caffeine be part of it. Instead, focus on time management."
— Edited by Erin McDaniel
Dangers linked to sleep deprivation
Individuals differ, but strict schedules exercise help prevent illness, accidents
By Melissa Davis Special to the Kansan
Fatemah Yadullah didn't think much of the fact that she was always tired and was having a hard time focusing at work and in her classes.
Until one evening when she fell asleep at the wheel while driving home from work.
Little did Yadullah, Overland Park senior, know that she was suffering from something more than a little lack of sleep. She was suffering from sleep deprivation.
Because not all bodies are the same, some people need more rest than others, said John Wade, physician at Counseling and Psychology Services at Watkins Health Center.
Illustration by Kyle Ramsey/KANSAN
Wade describes sleep deprivation as a condition in which a chronic lack of sleep affects a person's mood or performance.
He said the condition was common among college students.
Dustin Shull, Leawood junior, said he wasn't surprised that many college students suffer from sleep deprivation. "College is one of the busiest times of our life," Shull said. "We go to class, then we come home to study. Or we don't want to miss out, so we procrastinate on our studying and go out instead."
Sleep deprivation can cause both minor and major problems for students.
difficult for students to retrieve and process new information. If students don't catch up on sleep,
Lack of sleep contributes to poor concentration and memory, which makes it
information in situations where these smaller problems can mowball into illness, depress patients, hallucination and paranoia also have been reported in especially severe cases of sleep deprivation.
Yadullah knows firsthand how a lack of sleep can affect her and increase her chance of accidents.
"I was driving home from work when I fell asleep and missed my turn. Luckily, I woke up before I wrecked," Yadullah said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 56,000 crashes a year are caused by fatigue.
To cure sleep deprivation, Wade suggests sticking to a set schedule of sleep and avoiding naps.
"Taking naps creates a cycle," he said.
"When a person can't sleep at night, they nap the next day, then they don't feel tired the next night, and a cycle begins." Wade also suggests exercising and avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed.
"Alcohol puts the body in shock, then the body has to work extra hard to recover, so you sleep lighter and won't feel as rested,"
Individuals need different amounts of sleep, Wade said. For example, one person may be getting five hours of sleep and suffer no adverse consequences while another person may be severely impaired by the same sleep schedule.
— Edited by Amy Randolph
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