10 essential items for the healthy college student

When you move away to school, staying fit and healthy can sometimes be a challenge. Below are some essential items every college student should equip themselves with to achieve ultimate health.

1. Lunchbox: Many dining halls offer meals only two times per day, and depending on class schedules, a college student could go hours on end without eating. It’s important to keep your metabolism revved by eating small meals throughout the day and Built NY’s neoprene lunch boxes are a perfect way to store snacks. Coming in a variety of trendy patterns and colors, it’s almost as if you’re carrying around a designer handbag.
2. Tupperware: Need a way to store food in your mini fridge? Pyrex brand glass tupperware containers are a durable and functional tool to stow away meals for an entire day.

3. Electric water kettle: As college students, we all experience late nights working on term papers or lab reports, and the only thing that gets us through them is a good cup o’ joe. Though it’s abused by many, coffee and tea have many health benefits, providing your body with antioxidants and a metabolic boost. Bodum’s modernly stylish electric tea kettle is a easy and efficient way to brew water for caffeinated drinks in the comfort of your own dorm room.

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27 ways to sleep better in college life

The average person spends more than one third of his/her life asleep. But don’t be fooled — just because the body is sleeping doesn’t mean it’s slacking off. During sleep, the body repairs itself so that when the alarm clock goes off, our bodies are renewed and refreshed. Tossing and turning all night can affect judgment, productivity, and the ability to retain information the next day. Over time, it can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and — of course — a chronic bad attitude. (Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?) So check out our list on how to sleep better tonight — and thank us in the morning.
Disclaimer: While factors like stress or big life changes can bring on a few sleepless nights, prolonged trouble sleeping could be a sign of another issue like depression or a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. If these are worries, schedule a doctor’s visit to get things checked out. A medical professional might suggest a hormone test or another kind of evaluation to make sure everything’s okay.
1. Establish a bedtime routine. This lets the body know it’s time to unwind from the day’s stress and chill. Figure out a schedule and stick to it every night of the week — even weekends!
2. Journal. Thinking about or doing stressful activities can cause the body to release stress hormones, leading to alertness. But writing out stressful thoughts in a journal can help us avoid restlessness once we hit the sheets. Studies suggest certain types of journaling allow us to focus on the positive instead of the negative aspects of our day.
3. Munch on magnesium. Research suggests magnesium plays a key role in our ability to sleep through the night. Try chowing on magnesium-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, spinach, and swiss chard. Or pop a ZMA supplement, another form of magnesium, about half an hour before bedtime.
4. Try a cup of chamomile tea. This herbal drink can reduce anxiety that might make it more difficult to fall asleep.
5. Exercise regularly. Studies suggest some aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety and improve quality of sleep in people who suffer from insomnia.
6. Work out earlier in the day. While exercise can help improve sleep quality, it’s important to schedule workouts that end at least two hours before hitting the hay so that post-workout adrenaline boost doesn’t keep you up.
7. Take a power nap during the day. Ten to 30 minutes in the mid-afternoon is best to ensure a good night’s sleep. Any longer and we risk falling into deeper stages of sleep, which can leave us feeling groggy when we wake up.
8. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep. While many of us don’t get nearly that much, sleep deprivation has been linked to high cortisol levels (aka more stress). Recent research also suggests not sleeping enough is linked to insulin resistance, a condition in which the body can’t process insulin efficiently and a risk factor for diabetes.
9. Bedroom activities only, please. Reserve the bed for bedtime-only activities so the mind associates the bedroom with relaxation. Sleep and sex, yes. Work and bills, not so much.
10. Create a comfortable environment. Whether that means picking the perfect mattress, splurging on 800-thread-count sheets, getting heavy-duty curtains to block out light, or keeping a fan in the room for background noise, make sure it’s comfy before climbing into bed. Share a bed? Work with your partner to make any changes necessary so everyone sleeps well.
11. Keep the bedroom slightly cool. Between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. A room with extreme temperatures leads to more frequent awakenings and lighter sleep.
12. Take a hot shower or bath before bed. This can help the mind relax, while the rise and fall of body temperature induces sleepiness.
13. Set a daily wakeup time. Just like it’s best to go to bed at the same time every day, it’s a good idea to keep a consistent wakeup time — even on the weekends. Irregular bedtime and wake-up hours can lead to poor sleep patterns.
14. Make up for lost sleep. Stayed up too late the past few nights? Tack on an extra hour tonight to repay sleep debt and get back on track.
15. Keep caffeine fixes to mornings and early afternoons. Drinking it too late in the evening can lead to an unwelcome bedtime boost. For some people, the effects of caffeine can last the whole work day — up to 10 hours after that last venti macchiato.
16. Don’t toss and turn. Can’t fall asleep? If you’ve been lying in bed awake for more than 20 minutes, get out of bed and try a relaxing activity like reading or listening to mellow music. Thinking about not sleeping will bring on even more anxiousness — it’s a vicious cycle.
17. Check the medicine cabinet. Certain medications might be interfering with sleep. Think a prescription is the culprit to a sleepless night? Talk to a doctor about potential side effects and how to deal with them.
18. Leave Fluffy on the floor. Sleeping with pets can interfere with sleep. Snuggle before bedtime and then let them get comfortable elsewhere.
19. Face the alarm clock away. Watching the time tick by can actually cause more stress and make it harder to fall asleep. Plus, artificial light from electronic gadgets can mess up our circadian rhythm, making our bodies think it’s time to stay up and party.
20. Get techy. Check out the variety of smartphone apps and other gadgets designed to help usher in a better night’s sleep. Tracking sleep over a long period of time can also help us pinpoint what’s helping — and hurting — our snooze time.
21. Listen to soothing music. It can improve both sleep quality and duration. Try classical, folk, or slow-paced contemporary styles for some soothing sounds.
22. Sniff some lavender. This scent can actually be an antidote to insomnia. Try burning lavender-scented candles or essential oils to ease into sleep.
23. Try progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with the feet, tense the muscles. Hold for a count of five and then relax. Do this for every muscle group in the body, working up from the feet to the top of the head. A nightly meditation practice that involves focusing on the breath can also help prepare the body for sleep.
24. Dim the lights. Bright lighting, in particular the “blue light” emitted by most electronic devices, might contribute to sleep disturbances. Tech-savvy insomniacs might want to check out the special glasses designed to block blue light and help us snooze through the night.
25. Get some fresh air. Exposure to daylight helps regulate the body’s internal clock and with it, sleep timing. Getting some sunlight also keeps daytime fatigue at bay, leading to more sleepiness at bedtime.
26. Establish an “electronic curfew.” The artificial lights from computers, TVs, and cell phones might make it more difficult for the body to understand when it’s time to wind down. And one study suggests limiting TV at bedtime can reduce sleep debt.
27. Drink something warm. While a glass of warm milk might not be medically proven to bring on sleep, the relaxation that comes with sipping on a mug of a “comfort drink” like warm milk, hot chocolate, or tea can make those eyelids a bit heavier.

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Five ways to beat the all-nighter blues

It starts off innocently enough. It’s midnight and you’re still working on that paper. Or catching up on Breaking Bad. But when you’re going to bed as your roommate is heading to the gym, you’ve hit the point of no return. You’ve officially pulled an all-nighter. Lack of sleep leaves you feeling irritable, sluggish and generally “blah.” It’s time to find the quickest ways to recover so you can be less zombie, more human.
If anyone knows about sleep (or lack thereof) it’s Dr. Kim Herman, MD. Currently with the Shore Health System/University of Maryland Medical System, Herman spent five years working at a sleep disorders center. She knows that all-nighters are physically noticeable just by looking at your face, dull your senses, and make you irritable.
And for students, research has shown that the majority of those who study all night tend to have lower GPAs than their well-rested peers, said Herman.
“Sleep deprivation can significantly decrease cognitive functioning,” said Herman. “It causes decreased reaction time in activities that require sustained attention. Mental status changes including depression, anxiety, poor mood, irritability, low energy (and) poor judgment. These signs often disappear when normal sleep is restored.”
Herman makes a convincing case for keeping a normal sleep schedule, claiming that performance lapses are highly predictable when staying awake for more than 16 hours at a time. And often times, these lapses go unnoticed by the individuals experiencing them, so while you may think you’re functioning at a normal level on even an hour of sleep, in reality you’re just slightly above unconscious.
And staying up all night may lead to more serious consequences than bags under your eyes and a bad mood. Herman explained that, “Individuals may experience ‘micro sleeps’ which involve brief sleep episodes for only a few seconds whenever there is a lack of physical activity, like when you’re driving. These brief periods of sleep can result in catastrophic consequences.”
A car driving 60 miles per hour can travel more than 250 feet during a three second micro sleep, said Herman, meaning that a curve in the road or a breaking car in front of the driver could cause a serious accident.

Research has shown that the majority of those who study all night tend to have lower GPAs than their well-rested peers…

There are also long-term consequences associated with sleep deprivation, said Herman. Sleep deprivation is linked with an increased likelihood of developing hypertension and other cardiovascular issues. It can also lead to decreased immune function and an increase in appetite which can be frustratingly counterproductive to the hours you log on the treadmill.
Staying up all night doesn’t do your body any favors, but trying to break the habit can be difficult. With classes, work, activities, and other obligations, it’s hard to fit everything into a day. Emily Flanders, a 2010 graduate of St. John Fisher College, suggests scheduling out each day (including breaks) ahead of time to avoid late-night work.
“When I was in school I also had a toolbar that would block websites temporarily – you set and control which ones – and I’d block Facebook, Twitter, and other major distractions,” said Flanders. If your writing style is of the “write a paragraph then immediately go on Facebook” variety, then this may be an option to consider.
But even for the most organized, all-nighters just sometimes can’t be avoided. If you’ve already stayed up all night, there’s no turning back. Here are a few ways you can help your body recover.
1. Sleep in: Herman emphasized that the best thing you can do for your body after you’ve been up all night is to extend total sleep time. If possible, go to bed early for the next day or two after your all-nighter and let yourself sleep in until you wake up naturally. No alarm clocks allowed.
“Achieving continuous sleep helps us rest in accordance with our internal biological circadian clock and experience all of the sleep stages necessary to reap the restorative, energizing, and revitalizing benefits of sleep,” said Herman.
2. Take a nap: If you can’t go to bed early and sleep in the next day, Herman recommends a “strategic nap.” Naps that last 15-20 minutes can boost your energy and alertness for several hours after you wake up. It’s not as ideal as sleeping until you wake up naturally, but it’s certainly helpful if you need to function after you’ve been up all night.
3. Caffeine, with care: When you’re tired, it’s tempting to use coffee or energy drinks to take the place of sleep you didn’t get the night before. But caffeine should be used properly to get the best results. In moderation – roughly 300 milligrams or less – caffeine can lead to increased alertness, energy, and the ability to concentrate, said Herman. It can also improve reasoning, memory, orientation, attention and perception.
“The best way to benefit from the stimulating effect of caffeine is to consume small amounts frequently throughout the day,” said Herman. “Larger doses can stimulate the mind for a short time, and then causes an alertness crash as the effect wears off.”
In short, that trenta size from Starbucks? Probably not the best plan.
4. Eat wisely: Choosing your meals wisely is a must when you need extra energy after a long night.
“Great energizing meals and snacks that will keep you going for a long time incorporate a combination of foods that contribute protein, fiber, and complex carbs,” said Herman.
Her example: a half sandwich and a glass of milk or granola and a piece of fruit and a yogurt. Other high-energy foods include: whole grains, fatty fish (salmon or tuna), dairy products, chicken, eggs, nuts, mushrooms and beef. Herman added that snacking is important and skipping meals is to be avoided.
5. Other energy boosters: Staying hydrated can help keep your energy level up as well, said Herman. Physical activity and being around bright light are other energy-boosting options available if you can’t take a nap or get your hands on some caffeine.
Staying up all night may seem like a good option for productivity, but for your health, your mood and your GPA’s sake, it’s best to divide up your work/TV watching habit into manageable chunks and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Emphasis on reasonable. You are in college, after all.

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How much is too much sleep For Students??

With our action-packed lives, nearly a third of Americans struggle with getting too little sleep. However, some studies suggest getting too much sleep may actually be just as problematic as not getting enough! So how much is too much sleep?

We Sleep All, Sleep All Day — Why It Matters

Medical experts typically recommend seven to nine hours of shuteye per night for adults, and even more for kids. (Yikes, no wonder first period in high school was always so tough.) But everyone needs a different amount of sleep, and research suggests our sleep habits are influenced by environmental factors (like exposure to light) and genetic traits. Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can contribute to a condition known as “sleep drunkenness,” which leads to feeling groggy and disoriented. But we weren’t dreaming when we felt more tired after snoozing longer than usual — sleep drunkenness can happen when we get too little sleep and too much sleep. In both cases, sleeping more or less than usual can upset the body’s circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep cycles.
Getting too much sleep may be about more than just running to make the train in the morning. Like sleeping too little, oversleeping has also been linked to some serious health problems. Research suggests sleeping more than eight or less than seven hours per night is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Those who sleep less than five or more than six hours per night also show an increased risk of mortality. And one study found people who slept for more than nine or less than seven hours a night were about twice as likely to develop dementia as those who typically slept for seven hours.
Pulling a Sleeping Beauty is often a sign of a medical condition called “hypersomnia,” or excessive sleepiness. Hypersomnia can result from a range of factors, from central nervous system injuries to common over-the-counter medications. In certain cases, alcohol abuse can alter sleep cycles because booze prevents chemical interactions that take place during deeper stages of sleep. Oversleeping can also be part of the cycle of depression; people sleep more than usual because they feel depressed and continue to feel blue because they spend so much time sleeping. Whether we have someone to snuggle with influences how much we sleep, too; single people may be more likely to sleep in (longer than 8.5 hours) than their pals in relationships. But getting the right amount of sleep may not be as simple as setting an alarm clock.

Let Me Sleep On It — The Answer/Debate

Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to figure out the ideal amount of sleep for everyone. To find the right amount of rest, it might be necessary to experiment. Lame as it may seem, start setting an earlier bedtime than usual until it’s possible to wake up without an alarm clock. (It’s probably best to start these tests on a “sleep vacation” or a weekend to avoid missing the morning office meeting.) Once you start sleeping about the same amount every night, you’ve figured out how much rest you need on a regular basis. It may also be worth keeping a sleep diary with sleeping hours, daily alertness, and other stats like coffee breaks and workouts (e.g. drinking three late-afternoon frappuccinos might be important to note).
Keep in mind that not sleeping enough can have some scary consequences, too: Going 24 hours without any sleep can impair functioning just as much as a blood alcohol level of 0.1 percent! Sleep debt can also mask an individual’s basic sleep needs — so if it’s been busy season with all-nighters, wait until it’s been a week or two of normal sleeping before trying to note any patterns. Until sleep debt is paid back, it’s fine to sleep longer than usual; one study found that just one 10-hour sleep session significantly improved cognitive function following five nights of sleep deprivation.
If it’s still tough to wake up in the morning despite consistently getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, it may be wise to see a doctor. Sleeping too much (or too little) can have serious consequences for health and well-being and can also be symptomatic of other medical issues. Figure out the cause of the change in sleep habits, and then start counting those sheep.

The Takeaway

Everyone needs a different amount of sleep that depends on genetic and environmental factors. “Sleep drunkenness” can happen when we sleep too little or too much, and too much sleep is linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other health issues. Oversleeping can be a sign of hypersomnia, which can sometimes result from popping over-the-counter painkillers. At the same time, sleep deprivation can have serious consequences, too.

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‘All-nighters’ may face trouble later in life

After a long night of studying for electrical engineering and computer science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology first-year Jonathan Terry wakes up for a 5:45 AM crew team practice in the crisp November air.
With only six hours of sleep a night, Terry says he could really tell the difference between his academic performance during crew season and the offseason when he was on his regular eight-hour sleep cycle.
“Everything felt way more stressful,” Terry says. “I loved the exercise, but it was a lot to balance.”
As many know, sleep deprivation is a problem for college students, but if the pattern continues into adulthood, it may lead to serious health concerns.
In a new study presented by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, 30% of working adults who sleep less than six hours a night are four times more likely to suffer a stroke, USA TODAY reported.
The study shows that even adults who stay in shape and have no other risk factors are still subject to strokes simply due to insufficient amounts of sleep, says Megan Ruiter, lead author of the report.
“People know how important diet and exercise are in preventing strokes,” says Ruiter, of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, to USA TODAY. “The public is less aware of the impact of insufficient amounts of sleep. Sleep is important — the body is stressed when it doesn’t get the right amount.”
According to a 2001 study published in the Journal of American College Health, only 11% of college students say they have a sufficient amount of sleep each night.
In response, Terry says it’s especially hard for students to get sleep because they are trying to balance a number of extracurricular activities.
“I know many kids who try to do everything and because of it, [they] get very little sleep,” he says.
Kathleen Murray, 19, of the University of Vermont tries to go to bed at a certain time each night to guarantee a good night’s rest.
“I know if you don’t get enough sleep, you don’t do as well,” Murray says.
If some students did continue the same unhealthy sleeping patterns after graduating, Murray says the reasons for their lack of sleep would be the same as when they were in college.
“It has a lot to do with time management,” she says. “Students don’t know how to plan out their day. You can get enough sleep if you manage your time.”
Another reason students, in particular, have a hard time getting enough sleep is because after a long day of classes, they still must go to a job, do homework or study, Murray says. Adults, on the other hand, finish their workday and then have time to relax.
“If you’re lucky enough, your work doesn’t follow you home like school does,” Murray says.

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Sacrificing sleep for studying? You’re not alone

Students do it in class. They do it at meals. They do it all day long and well into the night.
Yawning is routine on college campuses, and many students accept exhaustion as a way of life. At the peak of midterm season, students without dark circles under their eyes are a rarity on campus.
Just 11% of U.S. college students report sleeping well, and four in 10 say they feel well-rested only two days of the average week, according to a Harvard Medical School sleep study.
Keith Edwards, a junior public relations major at the University of Alabama, said he gets about six hours of sleep each night — two hours less than the recommended eight hours of shut eye. He spends seven hours on campus for his classes before starting his assignments and studying for the next day.
“If all I ever did with my life was study and complete homework I’d probably get several more hours of sleep a night, but I’m involved with several organizations on campus that eat up my time,” said Edwards, 20.
Edwards is trying to find the balance between all the things he expected to do at this point in his life — academic pursuits, campus involvement and a social life. But other students are sacrificing some of what they thought would be a guaranteed part of college, just so they can get a reasonable amount of sleep.
For Eleni Kouvatsos, a junior at the University of Florida, social life doesn’t make the cut.
“If I wanted to have any sort of social life right now, I’d probably be getting 3 hours of sleep every night,” she said.
Kouvatsos, 20, said her class work is “seemingly endless,” and although she said she thinks her professors are aware that students aren’t getting much sleep, she believes most professors attribute students’ tiredness to things other than their studying habits.
“Many instructors think the main reason students don’t get much sleep is because they’re staying out all night with friends — which is true for a lot of students — but a lot of students are sleep deprived solely because of their coursework,” she said.
Edwards agreed that although sleep deprivation is an acknowledged problem on campus, his teachers are less than understanding.
“I do think professors are aware, but I don’t get the impression that they are sympathetic to it. People just assume that a lack of sleep is part of college life,” he said. “In their eyes students are in school to go to that class, and that means putting in the time and effort to do well.”
Skipping sleep to do work can actually have adverse effects on academic performance. Sleep deprivation has been shown to cause slowed thought process, impaired memory, difficulty learning and slowed reaction time, according to WebMD.
“I’ll move more slowly through the next day though, and I definitely have a harder time paying attention in class,” Edwards said.
A 2010 University of Minnesota study found that students’ GPAs decrease in relation to their lack of sleep.
Edwards and Kouvatsos both say that as they progress through college into harder courses, their sleep schedules worsen each semester. They also agree that the lack of sleep, combined with harder course material in general, often correlates with lower grades.
“If I decide not to sleep so I can study for an exam, I typically don’t do well on the test because I’m too exhausted to focus,” Kouvatsos said.
Many college newspapers such as The Oakland Post and The East Carolinian have published articles recently about the lack of sleep students face, but few identify solutions for students to get more pillow time.
“In order to get more sleep, I would either have to take fewer credits and easier classes or put forth less effort, thus sacrificing my GPA,” said Kouvatsos, who, like most students, isn’t willing to make that sacrifice just for a chance to hit the snooze button once more.

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How bad are all nighters, really?

There are seemingly endless reasons to pull an all-nighter: exams, finalizing an important pitch to clients, a birthday bar crawl, trying to earn more experience points in Farmville.
Both college and the “real world” have their fair share of sleepless nights. While crankiness and moodiness are tell-tale signs of no sleep, research suggests a surprising plus to staying up: short-term euphoria (the body’s natural high).

Not Enough Time In The Day — Why It Matters

Using MRI to study 27 young adults, researchers found participants who pulled an all-nighter experienced (short-lived) bouts of euphoria and heightened positive feelings. But it’s not all lollipops and double rainbows.
While any lack of sleep causes a boost in dopamine (the neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and happiness) levels, it can also potentially lead to risky behavior due to a surge of overly optimistic emotions.
It turns out lack of sleep switches the brain from rational-based decision making to the emotionally charged fight-or-flight mode.
This may not seem like a huge deal for college students (that’s just another Friday night frat party), but for doctors, pilots, accountants, or lawyers it may be a serious side effect to consider.
Yet sleep deprivation is no laughing matter. One study showed that lack of sleep impairs cognitive performance, knowledge retention, and awareness.

No Sleep ‘til Brooklyn — The Answer/Debate

Although some studies have found sleep deprivation to be beneficial in severely depressed patients, nearly any positive effects wear off after a nap.
As for studies that champion the pros of foregoing sleep? Well, there aren’t any.
So, will one night of sleeplessness cause a lifetime of drowsiness? No, a good night’s rest will restore the body, but just don’t go for that fifth Red Bull on a daily basis.
Long-term dangers of all-nighters include a reduced learning ability and increased likelihood of anxiety disorders . Other potential hazards include weight gain, an increased risk of diabetes, and potential brain damage.
Despite the dangers, pulling an all-nighter is a choice that many time-crunched people make. Even the most dedicated night owls should consider taking a break to sleep (even if it’s just for a couple hours) to re-charge the body’s batteries and reduce one’s overall sleep debt.
Don’t be surprised if productivity improves as well; a rested brain is good for business (or that final paper).
Do you still pull all-nighters? What are your secrets for staying productive late at night?

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