{"id":2200,"date":"2019-04-12T09:40:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T16:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/campus-health-services\/?page_id=2200"},"modified":"2026-02-16T20:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T20:42:09","slug":"sleep","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/campus-health-services\/health-promotion\/sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Health Promotion<\/h1>\n

Sleep<\/h2>\n

A good night’s sleep can help students perform better academically, manage their stress, and improve their physical health.\u00a0 Read below for more information on sleep benefits, as well as tips and tricks for good sleep.<\/p>\n

Sleep Hygiene Tips<\/h3>\n

Sleep helps with memory encoding and helps regulate many biological systems, including the desire to eat.\u00a0 College students who regularly get 7-9 hours of sleep tend to have higher GPA\u2019s!<\/p>\n

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  1. Exercise regularly: <\/strong>aim for\u00a030 minutes of moderate activity, 5x\/week; avoid exercising right before bed<\/li>\n
  2. Limit naps:<\/strong>\u00a0try to get the majority of your sleep during the night<\/li>\n
  3. Do things that relax you:<\/strong>\u00a0try drawing, meditation, yoga or drinking caffeine-free tea<\/li>\n
  4. Keep a \u201cworry journal”:<\/strong>\u00a0write down your worries or to do list before trying to go to sleep<\/li>\n
  5. Avoid excessive caffeine, alcohol, marijuana and nicotine:\u00a0<\/strong>all of these disrupt the sleep cycle<\/li>\n
  6. Avoid \u201cscreen time\u201d one hour before going to bed:<\/strong>\u00a0close down that laptop and set your phone aside<\/li>\n
  7. Establish a regular sleep and wake time: g<\/strong>o to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Talk with your roommates about this too to make sure everyone is on the same page<\/li>\n
  8. Create a comfortable sleep environment:\u00a0<\/strong>buy comfortable bedding and a fan to have a relaxing, cool, and dark area<\/li>\n
  9. Avoid Naps:\u00a0<\/strong>if you have to nap, 20-30 minutes max is best. If you nap longer than that your body can slip into REM (rapid eye movement) cycle and you making you groggier than before<\/li>\n
  10. Sleep for at least 8 hours:\u00a0<\/strong>if you\u2019re an athlete you should be getting around 10 hours. If you find yourself sleeping 11 or more hours a night, every night, and still find yourself tired in the morning talk with your healthcare provider<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
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    Sleep Hygiene Apps Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n
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