Why Students Need to Sleep: What Faculty and Students

Need to Know

CASSL

Cosumnes River College Spring 2016 Institute

Wednesday January 13th

Michelle Barkley, College Nurse

Outline

•Why we need sleep

•How many hours of sleep we need

•Common sleep problems

•Sleep hygiene

Why do we need sleep?

25 Scary And Surprising Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep and the Brain

How many hours of sleep we need

How many hours of sleep we need

Sleep Debt

Once you lose sleep, you cannot recover it.Best thing to do is to cut your losses and

move on. Getting back into a regular sleep routine.

Common sleep problems

Disorders:• Insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep)• Sleep apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep)• Restless legs syndrome (a tingling or prickly sensation in the legs)• Narcolepsy (extreme daytime sleepiness).• Parasomnias: nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, sleep

talking, head banging, wetting the bed, grinding your teeth

Talk with your doctor if lack of sleep makes it hard to do daily activities.

Sleep Hygiene - The Healthy Habits of Good Sleep

Good “hygiene” is anything that helps you to have a healthy life.

The idea behind sleep hygiene is the same as dental hygiene.

Dental hygiene helps you stay healthy by keeping your teeth and

gums clean and strong. Sleep hygiene helps you stay healthy by

keeping your mind and body rested and strong. Following these

tips will help you sleep better and feel your best.

Dental hygiene can even be a part of your sleep hygiene. It is

easier for you to fall asleep at night if you have bedtime “rituals.”

These are things that you do every night just before going to bed.

Brushing and flossing your teeth is a good example of this kind of

ritual. Both your dentist and your doctor will approve if you do this

every night.

Here are some tips for how you can improve your sleep hygiene:

1. Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.

2. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed.

3. Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed.

4. Get up at the same time every morning.

5. Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.

6. Avoid taking naps if you can.

7. Keep a regular schedule.

Here are some tips for how you can improve your sleep hygiene (continued):

8. Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards in bed.

9. Do not have any caffeine after lunch.

10. Do not have a beer, a glass of wine, or any other alcohol within six hours of your bedtime.

11. Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bedtime.

12. Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either.

13. Avoid any tough exercise within six hours of your bedtime.

14. Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously.

15. Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry.

16. Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.

References

• CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/sleep

• National Sleep Foundation: https://sleepfoundation.org/

• Medline Plus: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

• National Heart and Blood Institute: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/sleep/healthysleepfs.pdf

• Integrated Approach to Sleep Management|The Healthcare Practitioner’s Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Disorders|Continuing Education Series|Sponsered by: The University of Arizona College of Medicine.