Curry Health Center

  

Do you want…less stress? better grades?
less sickness? Better mood?

• Research suggests that sleep plays an important role in memory, both before and after learning a new task.
• Lack of adequate sleep affects mood, motivation, judgment, and our perception of events.
• Although you may be tempted to pull an “all-nighter” before an exam, remember that sleep deprivation has serious consequences. Sleep is important for learning and memory, alertness, and performance – the three things you want to maximize in an exam situation.

Typical problem college students
have with sleep.

Most of us have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at some point in our lives. Sometimes, these problems are temporary and can be due to transient stress. In other cases, the problem persists for weeks or even months. If you are unable to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes after going to bed 3 or more nights per week for 4 or more weeks, then you may have what is known as primary insomnia. Since insomnia maybe due to psychological and physiological causes, if your insomnia persists for more than a month, you should see your doctor. Go to or call Curry Health Center to make an appointment.

Tips for Better Sleep:

1. Avoid long naps if you’re having problems sleeping at night. The urge can be strong, but sleeping during the day for long periods of time will continue to disrupt your sleep cycle. A short nap during the day may be helpful if you’re feeling tired, but work it into your regular schedule and nap every day at about the same time. Keep the nap to about 30 minutes.
2. Exercise regularly and the quality of your sleep will improve. However, do not exercise close to the time that you plan to go to sleep.
3. Exposure to bright light in the morning helps to send a “wake up” signal to your brain and will make it easier the next day to wake up at your scheduled time.
4. Before you get into bed, do all of your mental planning for the next day. Worrying in bed can distract you from falling asleep for hours.
5. Do not eat, study, or watch TV in bed. Designate your bed for sleeping only.
6. Avoid stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine (found in coffee, tea, and colas) disrupt sleep, so it is best to stay away from them after lunchtime.
7.  Finally, if you do drink, consume alcohol in moderation. Alcohol, while it may initially help you to fall asleep, disrupts sleep later in the night and leaves you feeling less rested (as well as dehydrated) in the morning.

Go To Bed Poster

Helpful Links:
www.sleepfoundation.com
www.bettersleep.org