ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Sixty-eight percent of college students report stress from school and life keeps them awake at night, U.S. researchers said.
The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, said only 30 percent of students report they sleep at least eight hours a night -- the average requirement for young adults.
Study co-author Roxanne Prichard of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., said on weeknights, 20 percent of students stay up all night at least once a month and 35 percent stay up until 3 a.m. at least once a week.
Twelve percent of poor sleepers report missing class three or more times a month or fall asleep in class.
"Students underestimate the importance of sleep in their daily lives," Prichard said in a statement. "They forgo sleep during periods of stress, not realizing that they are sabotaging their physical and mental health."
Prichard said the researchers found poor sleepers are more likely than good sleepers to use medication to stay awake or fall asleep, and twice as likely to use alcohol to induce sleep.
