A:In 1964, I went out to Stanford University to film the person who discovered Rapid Eye Movement sleep, and I was so fascinated with what I saw after spending one… my first night in a sleep lab that I said I’m going to do this for the rest of my life, and that’s what I’ve done since that date..
Q: How much do the sleeping habits of college students interest you in this field of study??
A: Oh, oh! [laughs] Very much so, I’m fascinated and disturbed by the lack of sleep that students are getting. They need nine and three quarters hours of sleep to be fully alert all day long and most college students average about six. It affects their academic performance, their athletic performance, their social life and their general health, and therefore, I’m on a huge campaign to extend that sleep or at least build guilt in their minds so that they will hopefully at some point change their habits.
Q:What factors do you think impact college students’ sleep patterns and how?
A:The main factor is a lack of time management skills. College students, I think, waste a considerable time between classes and in the evening doing things other than meeting their academic study needs. I think social life, alcohol use, can impact a healthy night’s sleep. Their sleep-wake schedules are yo-yo schedules; they don’t go to bed at the same time Monday through Monday. They tend to stay up later on the weekends and sleep in, all of which destroys their ability to maintain a quality level of sleep.
(Q&A to continue, this is a basic idea of the format)