Wellness
University Health Services are here for you. Take advantage of them:
- Center for Wellness & Health Communication
- After Hours Urgent Care
- Mental Health Services
- Bureau of Study Counsel Groups and Workshops
Sleep
From College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It by Richard D. Kadison and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Sep 2, 2005.
Tips on Sleeping Well
- Stay away from caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. That cigarette or can of cola will make it difficult to drift off to sleep. And although alcohol may make it easier to fall asleep, it will interrupt your sleep and awaken you later in the night.
- Don't nap during the day if you're having trouble falling asleep at night. A nap can confuse your biological clock.
- Exercise regularly but not right before bedtime. Give yourself at least three hours between a workout and sleep time.
- Give your brain the signal to sleep by establishing a nighttime ritual. Leave time to relax and unwind with the lights turned low. Stay back from the TV and computer screen because their light can confuse the day-night rhythms of the body.
- If you can't fall asleep after thirty minutes, don't toss and turn worrying about not sleeping. This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, get up and do some kind of relaxing activity like listening to music or reading. Try to clear your mind and not worry about not sleeping. When you start to feel tired, get back to bed.
The High Cost of Sleep Deprivation
In an article on sleep in university students, Franklin Brown and his colleagues report that the consequences of sleep disorders are vast and variable and notes that the trend toward self-imposed sleep deprivation, irregular schedules, and poor sleep quality could have far-reaching implications for college students:
"Poor sleep quality can lead to significantly greater psychosocial distress. Examples include depression, anxiety, reduced physical health, general cognitive difficulties (such as poor problem solving and attention difficulties), and increased use of drugs and alcohol. Partial sleep deprivation *(less than six hours of sleep per night) can lead to deficits in attention, concentration, memory, and critical thinking, along with increased depression, irritability and anxiety. Even students who regularly obtain eight hours of sleep per night, but shift their sleep schedule by more than two hours may experience attention, concentration, reasoning, and psychomotor difficulties, as well as increased irritability, anxiety, and depression."
Diet
From College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It by Richard D. Kadison and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Sep 2, 2005.
Tips On Eating Well
- Drink lots of water.
- Add a salad to every dinner meal and go light on the salad dressing.
- Substitute a piece of fruit for a high-calorie dessert at least once a day.
- Substitute whole wheat bread for white bread.
- Have a bowl of fortified cereal instead of a bagel or doughnut.
- Put a vegetable on your plate as you walk through the cafeteria line.
- Don't bring high-calorie junk snacks like potato chips and nachos into your dorm room.