ln*so*mania : (n) what happens when you can’t sleep
By Brooke Vann
We have all had those nights where you sim
ply just CANT fall asleep! You become frustrated, which eventu
ally begins to make it even HARDER for you to sleep.
You feel like you’ve been awake forever and you know you
are going to be extremely tired for that BIG test the next morning.
Obviously this is not something that can be cured (unless
you have been diagnosed by a physician), but there is always
something that you can do to make it better.
Sleep is important for the rejuvenation of the body and
medical experts have advised nothing less than eight hours for an
ideal night’s sleep.
According to the 2012 National College Health Assessment
(NCHA) survey of 76,481 undergraduate students from 141 uni
versities, 22 percent of students reported sleeping difficulties se
vere enough to have a negative impact on their academic perfor
mance.
FSU senior Sage Gardner, who gets three to four hours of
sleep per night, said she falls in that demographic. According to
Gardner, the transition to a college environment worsened her pre
existing sleeping difficulties.
“In the beginning I had so much work to do,” Gardner said.
“I guess now, this year. I’ve gotten more used to not sleeping much
and even if I’m not doing work it’s just continuously like that.”
Courtesy
of health,
wikinut.
com
For most students, college is their first time living away from
home. That combined with challenging classes, can make for a lot
of stress and sleepless nights.
According to Lee, the lack of sleep has taken its toll.
“There were a few times when I was taking exams that I
dozed off during, so I feel like my performance at school could be
a lot better than it is.”
There is also that simple fact that living in a dorm means
sharing a close space (most likely with thin walls) with hundreds of
other students who most likely don’t share your sleeping schedule.
"to
Create a Sleepy Space. By making your bedroom clean and com
fortable, you can make your sleeping space more attractive. No
one wants to crawl into a bed of crumpled sheets and dirty laundry.
Also, only take a nap if necessary, like if you recently pulled an all-nighter. But, none
theless, you should try to space it out; make sure you have some “awake time” in-
between your nap and regular sleep. Ever plan on taking a nap for five minutes and it
turns into HOURS?! Try setting an alarm clock for your nap to help out.
Set realistic daily goals. Setting goals helps to minimize the possibility that you will stay awake thinking
about what you have not accomplished that day. Perfectionists and worriers have more trouble sleeping.
Exercise. Besides the obvious fact that exercise is a good way to stay healthy in college it can also help you beat
college insomnia. It is a great way to relieve stress and help tire out your body. You could run, jump rope, do yoga, walk the dog,
ride a bike-you get the picture. And just like sleep, getting in a workout routine makes the transition to an active lifestyle much
easier. That way you will be more likely to fall asleep, rather than tossing and turning while worry about the paper you have due.