As college students, we all desperately need sleep, but never seem to get enough. Madie Brown, Assistant Director for Health Promotion and Alcohol and Other Drug Initiatives for UI’s Vandal Health Education, gave some facts and tips on sleep.
The numbers of hours needed for students isn’t the same for everyone but Brown recommends “the great eight.”
While some may only need seven hours, some may need
up to nine hours. But no matter how many hours you may sleep, Brown said to go to sleep as close to the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
Yes, this even means on weekends. If you need some extra sleep on a weekend, only sleep in about an hour.
Staying on a consistent sleep schedule is important because it allows the body to settle into a rhythm.
During sleep, the brain shuts down all major muscles in the body, except for the heart, diaphragm and eyes. Because the brain doesn’t shut off completely, this means that sleeping is an active process, rather than passive.
This doesn’t mean you can get your exercise in by simply taking a nap, it means that the brain keeps working after your eyes shut. The brain uses this time to convert all the short-term memories into long term memories, processing all of the “waste,” like the million (or two) thoughts you had during the day.
An important pastime for college students in between classes is napping. When taking these naps, keep them to a short 20 minute power nap or an entire hour and a half. These lengths are due to what is called the Rapid Eye Movement, or REM cycle.
“(REM Cycle) a period of rapid eye movement, when the body is actually most awake,” Brown said.
This is where you may sleep talk or sleepwalk. Getting the full REM cycle takes an hour and a half, so in order to have a productive nap it is important to follow the guidelines that Brown outlines — and if you sleepwalk, lock your door.
And sleeping during the day can mess with sleep patterns — only nap if you need it. The circadian rhythm for sleep in the body is activated when it is dark, and this is when the body releases the sleep hormone, melatonin.
“Get the same amount of sleep no matter what,” Brown said when I asked her about the night before a big exam. “Don’t study all night long and try sleep during the day.”
These are simple tricks and quick information on sleeping. For a more comprehensive course, contact The Health and Wellness Center at UI for Sleep 101 workshops. Any living groups on campus can request them.
And stay tuned for this upcoming series on healthy college tips — from one sleep deprived college student to another.
Emily Fales can be reached at [email protected]