Key Messages
Recharge your body: Sleep 7-9 hours for optimal daily functioning, sufficient rest is one of our most basic physiological needs.
Restore your mind: Sleep for memory and creativity, mental wellness, & mood, and emotion regulation.
Plan for sleep: It’s a necessity, not a luxury; quality, quantity, and consistency matter.
Our Philosophy
The Center for Student Wellness focuses on understanding the biology of sleep, looking at the importance of sleep hygiene, and providing students with ways that they can navigate common college sleep challenges and environmental barriers. We know that sleep is one of our most basic physiological needs. We encourage students to prioritize 7-9 hours of consistent, quality sleep each night, and consider how a good night’s rest can impact their physical functioning, memory, creativity, mental wellness, and mood.
Discover
What messages do you receive around caring for your body? Listen to a variety of perspectives, from experts and peers, and consider how it relates to your experiences.
Hear from an Expert
"How Sleep Can Improve Your Immunity"
Matt Walker
Hear from a Peer
BC Health Talk: A Balancing Act
Video: Hacking your memory - with sleep
Article: How sleep deprivation hurts your mental health
Podcast: You are Worthy of Sleep
BC Podcast: Sleep @ BC
BC Blog: Sleep: For the Week, Not the Weak
Explore
How do you care for your body? Engage in these reflective activities to discover what works best for you.
Recharge Your Body
One surefire way to fight your fatigue is to ban the snooze button. Challenge yourself to plug your phone or alarm in across the room from your bed in order to avoid hitting the snooze button for one week. Re-evaluate how it feels to wake up sans snooze, with a special focus on if it helps you feel more energized throughout the day. Ditch the caffeine and find alternative ways to boost your energy, like daily exercise or short naps (20-40 mins) before 3 pm. Learn more about optimizing your Circadian Rhythm so you can better prepare for a quality night sleep with no alarm!
Restore Your Mind
Did you know anxiety is the biggest predictor of poor sleep? Be proactive in reducing stress for a better night's rest. One technique many people find helpful is jotting down your thoughts or concerns on a bedside notepad or this Brain Dump worksheet. Other proven ways to reduce stress include deep breathing, mindful meditation, and visualization. Regular exercise and yoga are both shown to help with stress management as well. Try different things and see what works best for you, check out these Meditation Resources to get started.
Plan for Sleep
College students typically need between 7-9 hours of sleep each night to feel their best. Think about how long you usually sleep when you don’t have to get up for anything, or what amount usually leaves you feeling awake and rested. Subtract that from the time you must wake up in the morning, and set a bedtime that allows you enough time to get ready for bed. Do this consistently for a week (weekends included) and track your sleep using this Sleep Log or an app like Sleep Cycle. Then, evaluate how making time for sleep impacted your energy, mood, relationships, and the rest of your week.
Live
What do you need to do to care for your mind (or body, or soul) and live well? Sign up to meet with a Wellness Coach to reflect on your current wellbeing and set goals that feel achievable to you.
Let's Talk More...
We want to help you find joy in your journey, wherever you’re at. We have many resources within OHP and throughout campus to continue this conversation—we’re here to listen, reflect, and help you set and achieve health goals that feel intuitive, sustainable, and balanced.
Meet Virtually with a Peer Wellness Coach
Engage in a conversation about your health and wellness goals related to caring for your body - in the areas of sleep and general health, body image and exercise, and alcohol and other drugs!
Visit bc.edu/wellnessocach to schedule your Wellness Coaching session and learn about each type of appointment, or use the links below to sign up directly through google calendar.