2008 Woodie Awards
Nighttime rituals affect daily life
By: Frank Wisswell and Brian McLean
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: Lifeline
- Page 1 of 1
St. Clair Shores senior Margaret Bidigare has a nighttime ritual.
"I drink a cup of coffee, that is how I go to bed," Bidigare said.
She also smokes a cigarette, another stimulant.
She estimated she receives six hours of sleep per night, but never uninterrupted.
"I don't think I ever sleep entirely through the night," she said.
University Health Services Physician Sarah Yonder said substance abuse - such as rampant caffeine ingestion - is one of the leading causes of sleep disorders among students.
Caffeine is everywhere, she said, and students drink it often.
Yonder recommended students limit themselves to one or two small cups of coffee, all drunk by mid-afternoon at the latest.
Energy drinks and caffeine pills contain excessive amounts of caffeine per day, she said, and should be avoided.
Yonder said caffeine's effects are limited and cannot substitute for sleep.
"(Students) have that burst to get through, but it's pretty bad for their sleep in the long run," Yonder said.
If students find themselves unable to fall asleep at night, Yonder recommended they do not fight it.
Rather, she said, they should get out of bed and do something relaxing such as listening to soothing music.
"Don't lie there staring at your four walls," she said.
Bidigare's late-night caffeine burst isn't her only nighttime ritual.
"I try to journal if I'm not too exhausted," she said.
Sheila Kile, Clinical Coordinator for Pleasant Dreams Sleep Center, 1205 S. Mission St., said insomnia is not as prevalent as many think it is.
Kile said many false cases of insomnia can be explained by "bad sleep hygiene."
Yonder said many cases of insomnia, however, have deeper causes and are symptoms of larger psychological ailments, such as depression or anxiety.
Many factors that cause stress originate from students' environments, over which they feel they have little control, Yonder said.
Because of its roots, insomnia should be medically addressed, she said.
Sleeping pills address the symptoms, not the basis, of the problem, Yonder said.
"Insomnia's not about just taking a pill," she said.
Even students not suffering from insomnia still can suffer from the effects of bad sleep, Kile said.
Lack of concentration, sleepiness and memory loss are just some side effects of not getting enough sleep. Kile also said car accidents are more common when drivers don't have enough sleep.
Bidigare said she is more emotional when she doesn't sleep enough and she also suffers from concentration loss.
"When I don't get enough sleep, I'm just totally zoned out," she said.
lifeline@cm-life.com
"I drink a cup of coffee, that is how I go to bed," Bidigare said.
She also smokes a cigarette, another stimulant.
She estimated she receives six hours of sleep per night, but never uninterrupted.
"I don't think I ever sleep entirely through the night," she said.
University Health Services Physician Sarah Yonder said substance abuse - such as rampant caffeine ingestion - is one of the leading causes of sleep disorders among students.
Caffeine is everywhere, she said, and students drink it often.
Yonder recommended students limit themselves to one or two small cups of coffee, all drunk by mid-afternoon at the latest.
Energy drinks and caffeine pills contain excessive amounts of caffeine per day, she said, and should be avoided.
Yonder said caffeine's effects are limited and cannot substitute for sleep.
"(Students) have that burst to get through, but it's pretty bad for their sleep in the long run," Yonder said.
If students find themselves unable to fall asleep at night, Yonder recommended they do not fight it.
Rather, she said, they should get out of bed and do something relaxing such as listening to soothing music.
"Don't lie there staring at your four walls," she said.
Bidigare's late-night caffeine burst isn't her only nighttime ritual.
"I try to journal if I'm not too exhausted," she said.
Sheila Kile, Clinical Coordinator for Pleasant Dreams Sleep Center, 1205 S. Mission St., said insomnia is not as prevalent as many think it is.
Kile said many false cases of insomnia can be explained by "bad sleep hygiene."
Yonder said many cases of insomnia, however, have deeper causes and are symptoms of larger psychological ailments, such as depression or anxiety.
Many factors that cause stress originate from students' environments, over which they feel they have little control, Yonder said.
Because of its roots, insomnia should be medically addressed, she said.
Sleeping pills address the symptoms, not the basis, of the problem, Yonder said.
"Insomnia's not about just taking a pill," she said.
Even students not suffering from insomnia still can suffer from the effects of bad sleep, Kile said.
Lack of concentration, sleepiness and memory loss are just some side effects of not getting enough sleep. Kile also said car accidents are more common when drivers don't have enough sleep.
Bidigare said she is more emotional when she doesn't sleep enough and she also suffers from concentration loss.
"When I don't get enough sleep, I'm just totally zoned out," she said.
lifeline@cm-life.com
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