Physical Health & Sleep Hygiene

Physical Health

Physical health is the foundation of your overall well-being. Taking care of your body through regular exercise, nutrition, preventive care, and sleep can improve your energy, focus, and mood. Staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle improve academic performance, stengthens immunity and reduces illness, and supports emotional well-being.

Ways to Support Your Physical Health

Check out some tips below to improve your physical health in college:

Move your body: take the long route to class, try a group fitness class in Roberts Pavilion, get involved in intramural sports, or do some yoga in between study sessions. There are lots of ways to squeeze in some exercise each day.
Eat well: include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein at each meal. Stay hydrated throughout the day with water and avoid skipping meals.
Break up long periods of sitting: sitting down for long stretches (like in class or while studying) can take a toll on your mind and body. Use study breaks to do something active- even a few jumping jacks or a walk around the building helps!
Avoid all-nighters: staying up late to complete school work might feel productive short-term, but over time, can result in worse academic performance and take a toll on your focus and energy. Set a designated bed time and stick to it, even on the weekends.
Pay attention to stress: chronic stress can show up physically, such as through headaches, fatigue, muscle tensions, or digestive issues. Manage stress through self-care practices and maintaining strong time management skills.

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep is an essential part of everyday life. College life can make it difficult to get consistent, quality rest, but practicing good sleep hygiene can make all the difference.

“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.”
- Thomas Dekker

Tips for Better Sleep

Check out the strategies listed below to maintain a better sleep schedule and routine:

Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your internal clock and makes falling asleep easier over time.
Limit screen time before bed. Blue light from phones, laptops, and TVs can interfere with your body's melatonin production (the hormone that tells your brain it's time for sleep). Try to unplug 30-60 minutes before bed.
Create a wind-down routine. Doing calming activities signals to your body that it's time to rest. Try taking a warm shower, journaling, reading or coloring in a physical book, listening to soft music or white noise, or taking some time to stretch before bed.
Set up a sleep-friendly environment. Make your room as restful as possible such as by minimizing noise and light and having a fan on to keep the room cooler. If you have a roommate who stays up late or snores, use earplugs, eye masks, or a white noise machine to help.
Don't force it. If you're lying in bed awake for more than 20-30 minutes, get up and do something quiet in low light (like reading or coloring). Trying to force sleep can make you more anxious, only making it harder to fall asleep.
Rethink naps. Short naps (20-30 minutes) can help you recharge, but long or late naps (after 4 pm) make it harder to fall asleep at night. Try to nap earlier in the day (between 1 pm - 3 pm) when most people experience a dip in their energy.

Why You Should Only Use Your Bed for Sleep

Using your bed only for sleep helps your brain create a strong mental association between your bed and rest. When you study, eat, watch TV, or scroll on your phone, your brain starts to link your bed with activity, alertness, or even stress- making it harder to wind down. Think of it like this: if you do everything in your bed, your brain doesn't know if it's time to write a paper or take a nap. But if you bed is only used for sleeping, your brain learns, "when I get in bed, it's time to rest".

References:

Health Topics

Alcohol and Other Substances

Environmental Health

Healthy Eating and Body Image

Healthy Relationships

Mental Health

Physical Health and Sleep Hygiene

Sexual Health

Stress and Time Management