ASK THE NURSE 

THIS SECTION WILL GIVE YOU INSIGHT ON A FEW QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ON GENERAL HEALTH MATTERS SUCH AS:

Are You Getting Enough Slepp?
  • ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP? 
  • TATOOS... HOW THEY AFFECT  YOUR HEALTH? 
  • WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS? 

 

 

Who has time to sleep? 

College students are notoriously sleep deprived. Not a big surprise. But sleep is absolutely necessary to function mentally and physically. Sleep deprivation can really affect your school performance. Lack of sleep impairs your ability to think and solve problems, it impairs your immune system functioning from putting you more at risk for getting sick, and it increases your risk of accidents and mental health problems. Insomnia worsens ADHD, depression, anxiety, and bipolar conditions

Definitions 

Insomnia is when you do not get enough sleep. This can be because of difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently, a hard time falling back asleep or not feeling rested when you get up.  Sleepiness is when you can’t stay awake. Your eye-lids feel heavy and are hard to keep open.    Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness characterized by lack of physical and psychological energy. Fatigue may or may not be relieved by sleep.

What happens when I sleep? 

Sleep is a circadian rhythm (that means 24 hours cycles). Sleep is a circadian rhythm that is guided by light and dark. Sleep is broken down into 2 types: non-REM (stages 1-4) and REM (rapid eye movement). Each phase lasts 90-110 minutes and recycles throughout the night. Each period of sleep has its own physiologic, neurologic, and psychological features. The stages are as follows:

Stage 1: Light sleep, when the muscles begin to relax.

Stage 2: Brain activity slows, eye movements occur, heart rate and breathing are regular.

Stage 3: Brain waves become very slow with occasional short rapid brain waves. The body is deeply relaxed and it is hard to wake a person in this stage.

Stage 4: All brain waves are slow. This is the deep sleep when people sleep walk. It is not dangerous to wake a sleep-walker, just really difficult.REM: This is the dreaming stage of sleep. Muscles stiffen and relax, heart rate, respirations and eye movement increase. Uninterrupted REM sleep is necessary to integrate learned material and to wake up feeling rested.

How much sleep do I need? 

Researchers have found that humans need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep to optimal functioning. Sleep needs change with age and everyone has unique requirements. The benefits of a good nights sleep are greater alertness, better memory, better problem solving, and better health. In other words, you are better off getting good nights sleep than cramming for a test.

I’m tired all the time….. 

Excessive sleepiness is usually cause by insomnia but can be cause by alcohol use, shift work, over the counter and prescription medications, herbs and supplements. If you have fatigue that is persistent, even with good sleep, you should be seen by your health care provider to make sure there is not an underlying health problem.

What is causing me to have problems sleeping? 

Sleep problems can be divided into two categories: poor sleep hygiene and sleep disorders. Forty-seven percent of people who report having insomnia also report stress and anxiety (US Dept. of Health and Human Services). The first steps in addressing insomnia are decreasing stress and practicing good sleep hygiene. I will outline the steps of good sleep hygiene, and we have many handouts and articles at the Student Health and Psychological Services related to stress reduction, decreasing anxiety and sleep. Sleep disorders such as: sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome (RLS) and circadian rhythm dysfunction require evaluation by your health care provider. Evaluation may include a sleep diary, medical and psychological history, physical exam, laboratory tests and formal sleep studies (performed at the independent sleep clinics).

Few tips for a Good Night’s Sleep 

  1. Keep a regular schedule. The variations of your bedtime should not be more than 1 hour from day to day. Get up around the same time – this means weekends too!

  2. Do not consume alcohol, caffeine or nicotine within 4-6 hours of your bedtime. You may need to eliminate caffeine after lunch.

  3. Exercise most days but not within 4 hours of your bedtime.

  4. Develop sleep rituals – do the same thing every night to teach your brain and body that it is time to go to sleep. Journaling, reading, taking a bath, yoga, meditation, a cup of herbal tea are some of the rituals that people use.

  5. Make your sleep area a peaceful oasis – cool, dark, tidy and quiet. Don’t watch TV, play games or use your computer in bed. Put on socks if your feet tend to get cold. Have a good supportive bed with comfortable pillows and sheets. Lavender scent can be calming.

  6. Unwind early in the evening. Make a list of all your worries and stresses and then set it aside for the night.