John Carroll University students report ‘sleep difficulties’ as a leading impediment to academic success (NCHA, 2022). Inadequate sleep, excess studying, socializing, and working may lead to poor sleep habits and stress. Lack of sleep may cause memory problems and the inability to concentrate.
It is recommended that individuals get eight hours of sleep a night. Pulling ‘all-nighters’ can cause sleep deprivation. Although trying to catch up on the weekends may help, long-term irregular sleep may actually interfere with your sleep cycles, causing insomnia.
se the following links, resources, and apps, to learn more about sleep and how to gain and maintain healthy sleep habits.
- Your Guide to Healthy Sleep - Sleep Disorders - How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?
Resources
Sleep Deprivation & Setting Good Habits. College can include a lot of sleepless nights. Whether you're struggling with insomnia or choosing to sleep only a few hours a night, sleep deprivation has a big impact. Learn tips for improving your sleep and signs that you may need help with your sleeplessness.
Caffeine Calculator. Caffeine and sleep are closely linked. Use these tools to calculate your caffeine intake and learn how it might effect your body.
Sleep Diary. While there are several apps that can track your sleep, this sleep diary can help you capture more helpful information about your sleeping habits. Tracking your sleep can help you and your health professionals identify ways to improve your sleep.
Why Do We Sleep? In this Ted Talk, Russell Foster shares three popular theories about why we sleep, busts some myths about how much sleep we need at different ages, and hints at some bold new uses of sleep as a predictor of mental health.
What Would Happen if you Didn’t Sleep? In the United States, it’s estimated that 30% of adults and 66% of adolescents are regularly sleep-deprived. This isn’t just a minor inconvenience: staying awake can cause serious bodily harm.
The Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep. It’s 4am, and the big test is in 8 hours. You’ve been studying for days, but you still don’t feel ready. Should you drink another cup of coffee and spend the next few hours cramming? Or should you go to sleep? Shai Marcu defends the latter option, showing how sleep restructures your brain in a way that’s crucial for how our memory works.
Apps
Sleep Cycle. Normally, your alarm clock is set for a specific time. You may be jolted awake at any point during your sleep cycle which can make it hard to fully wake up. The Sleep Cycle Alarm app performs sleep tracking to record your sleep habits. Using the Sleep Cycle Theory, the alarm wakes you during light sleep. To achieve this, you set a window of time to wake up. The sleep app senses your sleep movements and rings to wake you at the optimal time in your sleep cycle. This allows you to wake up feeling refreshed. Free for Android or iTunes. Premium available for $29.99 annually.
Sleep Cycle Power Nap. Research shows that napping can do a world of good. The Sleep Cycle Power Nap app allows you to set the time for a short 20-minute power nap or a full nap of 90 minutes. Your phone’s accelerometer senses when you fall asleep and then sets the alarm to wake you up. This sleep app also has various sounds to help you fall asleep. $1.99 on iTunes.
Buddhify is here to help you bring more calm, clarity and kindness to all parts of your life. Whether you're looking to reduce stress and anxiety, or get a better night's sleep, Buddhify has easy-to-follow guided meditations to bring mindfulness to all parts of your life, with exercises for whatever you're doing and wherever you are. $2.99 on Android and $4.99 on iTunes.
White Noise Lite. If you want to fall into a deep, blissful sleep while listening to the sounds of ocean waves and soothing sounds, White Noise Lite may be the best sleep app for you. The app comes loaded with several looped sounds, such as a burning campfire, swaying boat, and thunder. You can also set a gentle alarm (guitar strum, chime, violin, and more) to wake you up. Free for Android and iTunes.
John Carroll University is committed to providing a healthy, comfortable, and productive environment for the students, faculty, and staff, contractors, vendors, and visitors of this campus. Therefore, we have made the commitment to be a tobacco- and smoke-free campus. Smoking, the use of any tobacco product, vaping,a and the use of electronic cigarettes are prohibited throughout the campus, including in on any university-owned or leased properties and in any university-owned vehicles.
According to the American Lung Association, every year in the United States over 392,000 people die from tobacco-caused disease, making it the leading cause of preventable death. Another 50,000 people die from exposure to second hand smoke.
The University is highly committed to supporting all students who wish to stop using tobacco. To find information on tobacco and smoking cessation, please visit the American Heart Association by clicking on the following link. For more information on our tobacco-free policy and resources please visit this link.
In the 2019 National College Health Assessment that JCU students took, nearly 1 in 4 JCU students report vaping in the last 30 days. With such high usage on our campus it is important to know the risks and have resources available to help people quit.
Quick Facts:
- There is no safe tobacco product. All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, carry a risk.
- The use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, products is unsafe for all ages, and contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.
- As of October 15, 2019, 1,479 lung injury cases associated with the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products have been reported to CDC.
- Thirty-three deaths have been confirmed in 24 states.
- Products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g. friends, family members, illicit dealers), are linked to most of these lung injury cases and deaths.
- The long-term health impact of nicotine pouches (commonly referred to as Zyns) is still unknown. Not technically categorized as smokeless tobacco, these products are not yet regulated as strictly by the FDA. Find more information here.
Source: Center for Disease Control, 2019, for more information visit the CDC's website.
Stopping or Reducing Use:
- Reduce the nicotine gradually by buying pods or bottles that come in different strengths.
- Set a date that you will stop, or a certain amount that you will buy, and stick to it.
- When you have had your last vape, stick to it. If you have reduced your nicotine use, it is most likely you're addicted to the habit and not the nicotine.
- Carry on and if you fall back into the habit, start the process of quitting again. You can do it!
- Seek support! It is hard to do this alone. Email wellness@jcu.edu to schedule wellness coaching. Wellness coaching is a short-term, non-judgemental, easy way to meet with a student or staff member to discuss a variety of issues and help reach your personal wellness goals- including quitting nicotine.
For more information visit QuitVaping.org.