Did you know...
- 21.8% of SCU students say sleep difficulties impact their academics
- 90.4% of SCU students report feeling sleepy during day time activities
- 62.5% of SCU students report feeling tired, dragged out, or sleepy 3+ days per week
*National College Health Assessment, Spring 2018
Not sure if you have healthy sleep habits? Click here for more info!
Why is sleep important?
Sleep plays a crucial role in your physical and mental health. Repairing cells, improving memory, and decreasing your risk of disease are some of the many important things that happen while you sleep. Additional benefits include but are not limited to stress reduction, improved mood, increased energy, healthy weight management, and improved focus and productivity.
How much sleep do I need?
It is recommended that adults aged 18 years and older get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Regular sleep loss adds up and is called sleep debt. Sleeping in on weekends and napping help in the short term, but persistent sleep debt cannot be made up. For example, if you lose 2 hours of sleep each night, you'll have a sleep debt of 14 hours after a week. If you sleep 8+ hours regularly and still wake up feeling tired and groggy, set up an appointment with the Cowell Center to be sure that you don’t have a sleep disorder.
What can I do to improve my sleep habits?
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Try to keep the same sleep schedule for weeknights and weekend
- Create a sleep hygeiene routine that repares your body for sleep
- Set an alarm on your phone an hour prior to your bedtime to give yourself the time to wind down properly and avoid use of electronics (blue light) 30 minutes before bed time
- Create a to-do list for the next day to avoid your mind from overthinking and delaying your sleep or disrupting your dreams
- Use ear plugs or a white noise machine to drown out excess noise
- Limit caffeine intake 6-8 hours prior to your bedtime
- Cut back on napping - adults should nap no longer than 20 minutes
- Avoid heavy and/or large meals and alcohol within a couple hours of bedtime