Lara Murray-Sterzel, Staff Writer |
As a young college student, it’s important to take care of yourself. In order to fulfill our daily activities of going to class and doing our homework, we need plenty of sleep for energy to do our daily activities. However, there are some students who have been struggling to fall asleep and can’t figure out why. The National Alliance on Mental Illness, better known as NAMI, may have some explanations.
On Thursday, Oct. 20, NAMI held a panel focused on the topic of sleeping disorders. Sleep disorders are a pattern of lack of sleep that can turn into a major problem for people. NAMI revealed that 79 percent of people who have a sleeping disorder experience anxiety or depression. We, as teenagers and early adults, need to get seven to eight hours of sleep to function. If you have a sleeping disorder, you’ll struggle to perform daily functions. NAMI recommended ways of improving sleeping habits by turning off your electronics for a while before bed, avoiding drinks like caffeine and alcohol, exercising, and creating a relaxing sleeping routine. If you’re still struggling, NAMI strongly encourages you to seek medical treatment.
After these revelations, students were able to talk about their beliefs on what they would do if they had a sleep disorder. Little by little, students opened up and provided a safe atmosphere to the panel. Near the end of the panel, NAMI encouraged students to engage in a little activity where they take post-it notes, write down something motivational on it, and leave it on the board so they can place the motivational notes around campus. Many of the students participated in this activity and took post-it notes, writing powerful messages to be displayed around campus.
If you struggle to fall asleep or don’t average eight hours of sleep every night, please try to improve your sleeping habits, as lack of sleep can affect your mental health and daily activities. Visit Oneonta’s Counseling Center or reach out to NAMI for other ways to help fix your sleeping habits.
NAMI also encourages students to participate in a community cleanup event they are hosting on November 13, which features the College Democrats club, Psi Chi, the Environmental Science club, and NAMI!
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