Have you ever heard the idea of college being all about parties, hookups, and late-night adventures? Contrary to popular belief, many students find themselves in the library, feeling stressed out, or being thankful for a day where they get to stay-in.
This is due to the lifestyle of students trying to take on heavy burdens which include juggling a good social, academic, extracurricular, and healthy lifestyle. So, why has this lifestyle been normalized so much and how does this affect the sleep habits of college students?
(Courtesy of WeHeartIt)
Ideally, eight hours of sleep is recommended. However, according to the University Health Center (UHC) study done at the University of Georgia, it shows the average amount of sleep a college student receives is only six hours. With lack of sleep, a snowball effect of disasters is bound to happen. This can negatively impact mental health, GPA, and weaken the immune system.
Luckily, to aid in this sleep deprivation crisis many campuses, such as the University of California, Riverside, have developed sleeping areas for on-the-go students. At UCR’s Well, a program which promotes multiple forms of wellness, they included sleeping mats and napping kits which are available at the front desk among request.
(Courtesy of The Well)
Personally, using the bedtime feature on my phone to monitor my sleep cycle has definitely helped me in sleeping more. Visually seeing how many hours I would get if I go to sleep at one time and wake up at another was a motivator for me to get a full night’s rest. There’s also a feature to see my average amount of sleep and it’s satisfying to see the progress each day.
Another method to aid in sleeping is the use of chamomile tea, which I like to call sleepy tea. In the tea, it has many antioxidants which help to fight off negative particles in your body. These antioxidants in the tea can alleviate the large amounts of stress and anxiety found especially in students.
Also, mindful breathing may be a soothing exercise to practice while in bed. This can be done on your own or by using a guided meditation video from an app or on YouTube.
(Courtesy of Health Line)
Sleeping more has definitely made me more alert with my daily activities and has made me a happier person. Hopefully these tips can inspire you to get some rest tonight.
Sleep tight!