Become a Super Sleeper at UWM

One of the most common tropes about college students is that they are always tired. In a survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee last year, sleep ranked in the top five health categories students wanted more information about. 

In response, UWM’s Student Health and Wellness Center hosted the “Become a Super Sleeper” event on Oct. 25 for college students where they informed students about the importance of a regular sleep schedule, methods to obtain more restful sleep, and techniques to help put your mind at ease before bed. 

“I’m a bit of a workaholic if you ask a lot of my coworkers,” said John Sarto, a marketing major at UWM. “I just recently did 43 hours in a work week with two days here at school from 7 to 7. So the fact that I woke up late today to come to class made me think this might be worth looking into.”

Sleep plays a vital role in many parts of life including decision-making, immune support, productivity, memory and overall development, according to research by Harvey Colton and Bruce Altevogt. They also say that less than seven hours of sleep per night can negatively affect mood and increase the chances of obesity and diabetes. 

At the workshop, UWM’s Student Health and Wellness Center provided various resources to help students find the motivation to develop a better sleep schedule. 

They had six activities. The first was making customized essential oil roller balls. This activity was to support relaxation for the senses before bed. They also had a gratitude journal customization and sleep mask station. They also had three stations that trained you how to mindfully relax your body before bed using breathing techniques and meditation. 

“I am not a sleep specialist,” said Susan Cushman, director of UWM’s Health Promotion and Wellness Center. “But myself and our staff do our research to find what credible, helpful information and tips we can provide to students at UWM to help them take control of their own sleep.”

This is the third Become a Super Sleeper event the Student Health and Wellness Center has done. 

This semester, they added a gratitude section for a focus on being present and appreciative during various periods of life. They also gave out handouts for additional information about sleep and the benefits of good sleeping patterns. 

“So we really hope that with this whole variety of activities plus the nice teas that we have, that students can find something that works for them and maybe they can incorporate it into their bedtime routine,” said Cushman. 

A couple of the tips they suggested were: Sleeping in a completely dark room, only using the bed for sleep, and exercising every day for 20-30 minutes. They also provided students with resources if they have any health concerns or complex questions about sleeping.