This page contains resources to help you understand sleep and the impact of lifestyle and behaviors have on sleep quality.
Sleep Matters
Understanding the role sleep plays in our physical and mental health as well as a basic understanding of sleep itself is the first step in improving your sleep health. Check out these resources below to gain a better understanding of sleep health.
- Sleep Education Module: Watch this video to the right to learn how sleep impacts your health and how habits impact sleep.
- Sleep education from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Sleep and Academic Success
Sleep affects your ability to think, know, remember, judge, and problem-solve. If you don't sleep well, it can negatively impact your ability to learn and retain new information. Check out these resources below to learn more about sleep and academic performance.
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine
- MIT News
- Sleep, Learning and Memory
- Memory, Thinking and Sleep (Healthy Sleep Foundation)
Lifestyle and Behavioral Habits Affect Sleep
College is a time in your life when schedules and responsibilities can become overwhelming. It can be easy to sacrifice sleep time to accomplish all of your goals, but this will actually impede your success. Below are some resources discussing how your lifestyle and habits affect your sleep including those that improve sleep and those that disrupt sleep.
- Healthy sleep tips (Sleep Foundation)
- Good sleep habits (Healthy Sleep Foundation)
- Habits that are bad for sleep (Sleep Advisor)
- Diet and substances affect sleep:
- Caffeine, food, alcohol, smoking and sleep (Sleep Health Foundation)
- Alcohol and sleep (Sleep Advisor)
- Bedtime Snacks (Sleep Advisor)
Tools to Help You Improve Sleep
Relaxation Exercises
A number of exercises, including deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques, can improve your ability to get to sleep and experience better sleep quality. The resources below describe how you can use these techniques.
- Relaxation exercise (Sleep Foundation)
- Breathing exercise (Heathline)
Mobile Sleep Apps
Mobile applications can be helpful in monitoring and improving your sleep habits. Check out some of these apps below*.
- CBT-i Coach: This application was developed by the US Veterans Affairs Department based on evidence related to cognitive behavioral therapy-insomnia (CBT-i) used to help improve sleep habits and overall sleep quality. It is Apple and Android compatible and free to download for access to all features. To learn more, read this summary of the app.
- Sleep Cycle: This application monitors your movements while you sleep to estimate the different phase of your sleep cycle and wake you at the optimal stage in your cycle. This app measures movement through your smart phone without requiring another device. It is compatabile with Apple and Android and free to download and use with select features. There is an option to purchase a membership to access all features.
- Pzizz: Based in the science of psychoacoustics and psychotherapeutic techniques proven to improve sleep. This application provides sequences of sound and narration, which train your brain to go to sleep faster and wake feeling more rested. It includes a setting to assist with healthy napping. It is Apple and Android compatible and free to download and use with select features. There is an option to purchase a membership for access to all features.
Sleep Logs
Using a sleep log (also called a sleep journal or sleep diary) can help you see patterns in your sleep-wake routine that may be helping or hurting your quality of sleep. Below are a few different formats for sleep logs. Choose a format that makes sense to you and print a copy to complete daily for 14 days to better assess your sleep. This would be a helpful tool to bring with you to your medical, mental health medication management or counseling appointments if you are talking with your provider about sleep and energy.
*The University Health Center does not endorse any of the above-mentioned apps. These apps are not intended to be a replacement for treatment nor are they any sort of medical intervention.