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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2004)
Sound Sleep or Counting Sheep? by Lilee Hua How much of a role does adequate sleep play in your school performance? Do you con stantly find yourself dozing off, taking power naps, or skipping class to get extra sleep during the day? By not providing yourself with sufficient rest, you may be harming yourself more than you think. TAKE A MOMENT TO TEST YOUR SLEEP IQ WITH THESE T/F STATEMENTS. 1) Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation. True/False 2) Regularly and unintentionally dozing off during the day may indicate a more serious medical condition than just sleep deprivation. True/False 3) People need less sleep as they grow older. True/False 4) The body has a natural ability to adjust to differ ent sleep schedules,such as pulling an“all nighter.True/False NOW LET’S SEE HOW YOU DID. 1) False. Although sleep is a time when your body rests and restores energy it is also a mentally active state that affects both your physical and mental well-be ing. Adequate restful sleep,like diet and exercisers critical to good health. Insuffi cient restful sleep can result in mental and physical health problems. 2) True. Still can’t seem to stay awake and focused even though you slept a good 7-8 hours the night before?This could indi cate other sleeping problems despite getting enough hours of sleep. According to the Nation al Institute of Health,approximately 40 million Americans suffer from sleeping disorders.An untreated sleep disorder can reduce your day time productivity increase your risk for acci dents,and put you at risk for illness. 3) False. Now that we’re past our adolescent years, we think we don’t need as much sleep.As col lege students, we don’t always find the time for adequate sleep.This can interfere with our schoolwork and grades.Try going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning.Sleeping in a cool, dark, quiet place at night may improve the quali ty of your sleep. 4) False. The human biological clock typically programs us to feel sleepy during the nighttime hours and active during the daylight. Fighting your body’s own biological clock by staying up all night to study for a midterm reduces your re tention of the material.Studies show that ade quate sleep will help you focus more while tak ing an exam. If you find yourself feeling groggy most days, the University Health Center has medical practitioners available for consultation. A basic appointment is $6 and can be billed to your student account. Call 346-2770 to schedule an appointment. This could shed light on brighter,more refreshing days. America’s Favorite Psychoactive Substance Is Served in a Cup By Emma Thornburg It’s early and brisk. Herds of students scurry into the doors of cafes where they are met with the musky, familiar smell of morning. After ordering their personalized concoction,their caffeine is ad ministered and is in full effect within a half an hour. For most individuals,caffeine’s direct effect on the nervous system allows increased alertness,elevated mood,and improved short-term memorywhich are the main reasons for its popularity According to nu merous health professionals,caffeine consumption is typically not harmful in moderation. In excess, however,caffeine can have adverse short term and long term effects which outweigh any direct,posi tive stimulation caffeine provides. The question, then,is how much is OK? CAFFEINE BACKGROUND Caffeine is a psychoactive drug found in many naturally occurring (e.g. coffee, cocoa, and chocolate) and manufactured (e.g. many headache, diet, and sleep suppressant pills) sub stances. Since each of us has a different level of sensitivity to caffeine, the point at which adverse effects kick in will vary between individuals. Less than 300 mg of caffeine (about two 5-oz. cups of coffee) per day appears to be safe for most people. Of course, not all cups of Joe are created equal. One 16-oz. Grande from Starbucks and you’ve already maxed out your daily dose of caffeine, taking in roughly 370 mg. WEIGHING IN THE HEALTH FACTORS When they do kick in, adverse symptoms of caffeine typically include restlessness, dizziness, irritability, gastrointestinal aches, chronic headaches, and trouble sleeping. Some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine, and less than 300 mg can trigger these symptoms. According to Columbia University’s www.goaskalice.Columbia.edu., caffeine is a stimulant that can cause anxiety and the very symptoms that can lead to a panic attack in those with anxiety disorders. Individuals with hypertension should limit or eliminate caffeine from their diet since it raises their blood pres sure. Since caffeine is a diuretic, it could lead to dehydration and fatigue. It also triggers calcium loss in the urine and potentially contributes to developing osteoporosis. your diet, make the transition gradualy to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal .such as sleepiness and headaches. Try blending regular and decaffeinated coffee to cut back on caf feine intake. For more information on this subject, check out the Peer Health Education Lending Library in the University Health Center for titles like Food & Mood by Elizabeth Somer,M.A.,R.D. Aitnougn it may oe tempting to use coffee late at night to help you stay awake longer and study, caffeine lingers in the body for three to four hours, and it could take you longer to fall asleep, as well as reduce the quality of your sleep. This vicious rvrlf» mctartc in fho morning when you need that cup of coffee to get you going again. In a time where the expected land mark on the block is a coffee shop, it’s hard to resist the temptation of a quick cup. It is important to be aware of your serv ing size and how your body is reacting to the caffeine. For most people it’s safe to have 300mg of caffeine or less per day If you are trying to cut back or eliminate caffeine from •MV U»VW WUUHUil dip onset of SAD occurs in those 18 to 30 years old. SADAssociation, http://www. soda. org. uk/symp tomshtm Winter depression strikes as many as 6 of every 100 peo ple in the US. Another 10 to 20 percent of people experi ence mild cases of SAD. American Academy offbmify Physicians, http://fomi lydvctor.org/haftdom/26 7.html High Blood pressure killed 44,619 Americans in 2000. American Heart Association Of the 50 million Americans who have high blood pres sure 31.6 percent don’t know they have it. American Heart Association http://www.americanheart org I The number of people in the United States with substance dependence or abuse in creased from 14.5 million (6.5% of the population) in 2000 to 16.6 million (7.3% of the population) in 2001. http://www. stopdrugaddicticm. co m/drugaddictkmstatistics.htm Nearly 14 million Americans - 1 in 13 adults-abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. http://www. akoholaddiction. info /alcoholism-statistics, htm The most common form of cancer in men aged 1S35 is testicular cancer, which can be cured in most cases. American Cancer Society The leading causes of death in American men under the age of 40 is car accidents, violence and AIDS. American Cancer Society About 25% of your night's sleep is spent in REM sleep, which is the dreaming phase. National Sleep foundation More than 20% of men, women and children grind their teeth at night,a condi tion known as bmxism. Better Sleep Council i Smoking a pack of ctga rettes/day (calculated at $S/pack) will cost $18,200 of cash for a ten year period. Costs to health are even greater in the long run. Some of the compounds found in cigarettes indude car bon monoxide,arnmonia.ar senic,butane,hydrogen cyanide,toiuene.DDT acetone, cadmium,and formaldehyde in addition to the addictive in American Lung Association The Health Center is provid ing free nicotine replace ment (gum or patch) to smokers who want to quit. Covering your cough & washing your hands with soap & water after coughing or sneezing helps stop the spread of germs. Oregon Department of Human Semites Winter -Well Now (the University Health Center Newsletter)
