Sleep Well

Ah, there's nothing quite like dorm room living:

Tight quarters.
Old, rickety furniture and carpeting.
A small, hard bed.
Thin walls and rowdy neighbors.
Late-night hallway parties.
Perhaps a humming mini-refrigerator and an annoying roommate with whom you share absolutely nothing in common.

Now, that might not sound so pleasant if you're over the age of, say 30, but for many college students, it's acceptable - a kind of hazing period during the transition from high school to the big school.

But none of this bodes well for sleep hygiene. I don't know any college student who isn't sleep deprived and living on caffeine.

Last week, I dispensed some secrets to settling into college life without losing too much sleep over it. The dorm room deserves special attention. It's where college students will spend a great deal of time mixing attempts to get some shut-eye and a host of other activities-socializing, writing papers, studying, talking on the phone, hanging out, listening to music, and so on. Whether it's your first-born making the move to college or you yourself are about to move on up, heed these dorm room makeover tips:

If possible, strategically arrange the bedroom furniture around any incoming light and noise.
- Face the bed west if possible so that you don't get direct sunlight in the morning.
- Avoid placing the bed directly across from a window that faces east
  (or you will be rising with the sun).
- If you can get away from the noise but that puts you in the light, move away from the noise and buy some blackout shades.

Consider the use of a room divider or screen. This will give you more privacy and help dampen light (and some noise) coming from your roommate.

Decorate the area around the bed differently than the rest of the room. Keep it clutter-free, and try not to snuggle up with your cell phone. Teddy bears are better sleep mates.

Splurge on good bedding materials that are comfortable for you:
- soften up a hard mattress with a featherbed (which is like a big body pillow you rest on top of the mattress),
- lots of pillows
- consider a mattress topper, and
- a plush comforter.

Keep high-wattage lights away from the bed. Most dorm rooms are equipped with desks. Keep the high-wattage lights there and install low-wattage lights (45 watts or less) anywhere near the bed.

Position your entertainment, television and/or computer area so it's not directly aligned with your line of vision when you're in bed. Again consider the use of covers for the monitor and turning off the CPU itself at night.

Bedside sleep savers:
- Eye shades.
- Ear plugs.
- Sound machine to wash out background noise.
- Reading lamp or book light.
- Drape clip. If the room is equipped with draperies, try clipping the drapes together at night using a chip clip so there's no light leaking through the crack.
- Aromatherapy.
- Watch out for alarm clocks that light up the whole room.

But all that aside, I'll admit that the most challenging task of all awaits: Having that straightforward conversation with your roommate(s) about the rules. What if one of you needs to stay up late finishing a lab report, tapping on a laptop with the lights on? What if your roommate wants to invite the entire floor to party in your room until the wee hours of the morning on the night you've promised yourself to go to bed early? How will you manage living with someone who likes to keep to a totally different sleep schedule than you?

Conversation.

You must have it.

Early and often.

Good luck, my aspiring graduates. Cheers to the new academic year.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™

This article on college students and sleep is also available at Dr. Breus' official blog, The Insomnia Blog

Related Topics:

Labels: college, sleep, sleep deprivation, sleep hygiene

The dog days of summer are fast coming to a close. In the coming weeks, millions of college-bound students will be hitting the books again and adjusting back into university life. For first timers, this is an exciting time period. For veteran upper classmen, it's also a thrilling time to know that you're close to being fully independent and out in the "real" world on your own.

But for both newbies and soon-to-be graduates alike, the one thing that seems to get the best of them every single year is sleep. It's not hard to get that "A" in not enough sleep. Translation: serious deprivation.

Okay, so I'll admit, it comes with the territory. College life is, well, college! A rite of passage, and we all have our top secret stories from then. The two biggest culprits of a sleepless college student:

Academics and late-night studying.

"Social" studies and late-night partying.

You can't necessarily forgo either of the above on a consistent basis. But your body wants sleep on a consistent basis, which can conflict with the trappings of a successful and fun college life. And, without mom or dad around to nag about bedtime (and, might I add, wake time in order to be in class on time), the transition back to school life with all its demands and nocturnal distractions can be difficult.

So let me offer some realistic solutions that can ease any college student back into the swing of things quickly and restfully:

Time management: this is a no-brainer, albeit hard to do well. When homework, the social calendar, and sleep all call for attention, which goes first? How can you maximize all three?

Set clear boundaries. Tell yourself you won't party past a certain time; keep to a regular sleep-wake schedule as best you can, even on the weekend. Don't use the 24-hour library. Keep a routine study session daily, say from 4 to 7 at night, and don't let social distractions get in the way that will later have you back in the books past midnight.

Turn off your cell phone after a certain hour, say 10 pm.

Establish coping skills and stress-reduction practices. College comes with an enormous set of stresses and challenges. Strategies to help balance your stress will have a huge impact in your ability to get things done, and yes, get a good night's sleep.

Don't forget to exercise. The freshmen 15 isn't just related to a higher intake of (usually buffet-style) food; most college students forgo regular exercise and sleep - the double whammy for packing on the pounds.

Enlist a support buddy to keep you on track. Having someone who can watch out for you and let you know when it's time to re-think your habits can be a lifesaver. And doing the same for them reaps benefits for you.

Become a pro napper. Napping can be difficult to pull off out in the corporate world. But there's ample time to nod off in the afternoon library (just don't be caught doing it in class). It's exercise for the brain, after all.

College students get free passes for keeping their computers in their dorm rooms, but watch out for those bright screen savers. Before you put yourself to bed, put your computer to sleep.

In part II, I'll share my ideas for the ultimate dorm room makeover. It's a little different than reconfiguring your bedroom back home. Even in an itty-bitty room the size of a closet or bathroom, you can create a sanctuary for sleep. And yes, even study.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™

This article on college students and sleep is also available at Dr. Breus' official blog, The Insomnia Blog

Related Topics:

Labels: college, sleep, sleep deprivation, sleep hygiene