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)