We know that sleep is one of our most basic physiological needs. We encourage students to prioritize 7-9 hours of consistent, quality sleep each night, and consider how a good night鈥檚 rest can impact their physical functioning, memory, creativity, mental wellness, and mood.
The Center for Student Wellness focuses on understanding the biology of sleep, looking at the importance of sleep hygiene, and providing students with ways that they can navigate common college sleep challenges and environmental barriers. We know that sleep is one of our most basic physiological needs. We encourage students to prioritize 7-9 hours of consistent, quality sleep each night, and consider how a good night鈥檚 rest can impact their physical functioning, memory, creativity, mental wellness, and mood.
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Key Messages
Sleep 7-9 hours for optimal daily functioning, sufficient rest is one of our most basic physiological needs.
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Sleep for memory and creativity, mental wellness, & mood, and emotion regulation.
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It鈥檚 a necessity, not a luxury; quality, quantity,听 and consistency matter.
Discover
What messages do you receive around caring for your body? Listen to a variety of perspectives, from experts and peers, and consider how it relates to your experiences.听听
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Hear from an expert
Sleep is your superpower听
Sleep is your life-support system and Mother Nature's best effort yet at immortality, says sleep scientist Matt Walker. In this deep dive into the science of slumber, Walker shares the wonderfully good things that happen when you get sleep鈥攁nd the alarmingly bad things that happen when you don't, for both your brain and body.
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Explore
How do you care for your body? Engage in these reflective activities to discover what works best for you.听
Recharge Your Body
One surefire way to fight your fatigue is to ban the snooze button. Challenge yourself to plug your phone or alarm in across the room from your bed in order to avoid hitting the snooze button for one week. Re-evaluate how it feels to wake up sans snooze, with a special focus on if it helps you feel more energized throughout the day. Ditch the caffeine and find alternative ways to boost your energy, like daily exercise or short naps (20-40 mins) before 3 pm. Learn more about optimizing your听Circadian Rhythm听so you can better prepare for a quality night sleep with no alarm!
Restore Your Mind
Did you know anxiety is the biggest predictor of poor sleep? Be proactive in reducing stress for a better night's rest. One technique many people find helpful is jotting down your thoughts or concerns on a bedside notepad or this听. Other proven听听include deep breathing, mindful meditation, and visualization. Regular exercise and yoga are both shown to help with stress management as well. Try different things and see what works best for you, check out these听Meditation Resources听to get started.
Plan for Sleep
College students typically need between听听each night to feel their best. Think about how long you usually sleep when you don鈥檛 have to get up for anything, or what amount usually leaves you feeling awake and rested. Subtract that from the time you must wake up in the morning, and set a bedtime that allows you enough time to get ready for bed.听Do this consistently for a week (weekends included) and evaluate how making time for sleep impacted your energy, mood, relationships, and the rest of your week.听
Live
What do you need to do to care for your mind (or body, or soul) and live well? Sign up to meet with a Wellness Coach to reflect on your current wellbeing and set goals that feel achievable to you.
Let's Talk More...
We want to help you find joy in your journey, wherever you鈥檙e at. We have many resources within Center for Student Wellness and throughout campus to continue this conversation鈥攚e鈥檙e here to listen, reflect, and help you set and achieve health goals that feel intuitive, sustainable, and balanced.听
Meet with a Peer Wellness Coach
Engage in a conversation about your health and wellness goals related to caring for your body - in the areas of sleep and general health, body image and exercise, and alcohol and other drugs!听
Visit bc.edu/wellnesscoach to schedule your Wellness Coaching session and learn about each type of appointment, or use the links below to sign up directly through google calendar.听