Page 96 - Keys to College Success

sleep a night to function well, students average only six to seven hours—and often get
much less. Inadequate sleep hinders concentration, raises stress levels, and makes you
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more susceptible to illness. It can also increase the likelihood of auto accidents. Accord-
ing to Dr. Tracy Kuo at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic, “A sleepy driver is just as
dangerous as a drunk driver.” 13
Students, overwhelmed with responsibilities, often feel they have no choice but to
prioritize schoolwork over sleep. Some regularly stay up until the wee hours of the
morning to study. Others pull “all-nighters” from time to time to get through a tough
project or paper. These habits affect your ability to learn and think, and can weaken
your immune system. If you choose the risk of sleeping instead of putting in a few
more hours of studying, you may experience a greater reward at test time than if you
had studied all night.
For the sake of your health and your GPA, get some sleep. If you experience
symptoms of sleep deprivation such as morning grogginess, dozing off in class, or
needing caffeine to make it through the day, look to sleep expert Gregg D. Jacobs,
Ph.D., for practical suggestions for improving sleep habits: 14
■ Reduce consumption of alcohol and caffeine. Caffeine may make you hungry
(it drops your blood sugar level) or keep you awake, especially if you drink it
late. Alcohol causes you to sleep lightly, making you feel less rested when you
awaken.
■ Exercise regularly. Regular exercise, especially in the afternoon or early evening,
promotes sleep.
■ Take naps. Taking short afternoon naps can reduce the effects of sleep deprivation.
■ Be consistent. Try to establish somewhat regular times to wake up and go to bed.
■ Create a ritual. Wind down and transition from work to sleep with a bedtime
ritual. Read a book, listen to calming music, or drink a cup of herbal tea.
■ Manage your sleep environment. Wear something comfortable, turn down the
lights, and keep the room cool. Use earplugs or white noise to deal with outside
distractions.

HOW CAN YOU TAKE CHARGE OF
mental and emotional health?

It is not enough to have a healthy body. Your well-being also depends on having a
healthy mind, one that sees the world as it is and copes effectively. However, this is a
challenge for many people, in part because of the exceptional power of the human
brain.
Neurologist Robert Sapolsky explains that humans’ ability to anticipate the
future has a downside. “[For] a normal mammal, a stressor is a challenge to homeo-
static balance—a real physical challenge in the world—and the stress-response is the
adaptation your body mobilizes to re-establish homeostasis. For a cognitively com-
plex species (like humans and other primates), stressor is also the ANTICIPATION
that a a real physical challenge is about to happen. If there really is not the threat of
a physical stressor coming, then you are setting yourself up for increased risk of
stress-related disease.” In other words, thinking about potential stressors makes
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your body react as though you are experiencing them. And if you can’t stop thinking
about them, being in a constant state of stress response will take a toll on your health
over time.
Staying positive about who you are, making hopeful plans for the future, and build- Emotional and Physical Wellness
ing resilience to cope with setbacks will help you cultivate good mental health. However,
some people experience emotional disorders that make it more difficult than usual to
calm the stress response and cope. If you recognize yourself in any of the following

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