Pinnacle Guru · Published archive
Collab Topic - Occupational Therapy
Published
Sleep helps you remember what you learn and prepares you for your next challenge. If you are experiencing any of the following for a period of a few weeks, commonly known as insomnia, you may want to consider asking for help.
wake up frequently during the night
fall asleep at inappropriate times even after a night of adequate sleep
sleeping too much (more than 9 hours)
have sudden attacks of uncontrollable sleep or muscle weakness
have nightmares or night terrors (the experience of awakening in a terrified state without recollection of a dream) that interrupt your sleep
sleep-walking
Depression is already two times more common in the general population, affecting approximately 20\% of students, and researchers believe that lack of sleep contributes to this high rate.
Tips to Improve Your Sleep
While 8 hours of sleep may seem unreasonable, you should not underestimate the power of good quality sleep. If you are having trouble sleeping, here are some suggestions to help:
Create a “to do” list throughout the day and keep a pad and pencil near your bed. If your thoughts are racing as you are trying to sleep and if you think of
Cut down on alcohol. Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it often results in shallow and disturbed sleep, abnormal dream periods, and frequent early morning awakening
Avoid routine use of sleeping pills or other sleep aids, which reduce sleep quality.
Take a short nap (30 minutes or less), as early in the day as possible, if you are tired. While short daytime naps can be refreshing, longer naps can upset your internal clock.
Reduce your intake of caffeine and nicotine 4–6 hours before going to sleep. If coffee shops are a common late night study place, try decaffeinated coffee or tea if you crave something warm. Drink decaffeinated pop instead of regular pop. Stimulants interfere with your ability to fall asleep and progress into deep sleep.
Sleeplessness may also be a result of a more severe medical problem (or may lead to increased health problems) and you may need to see a physician.
Discuss a useful next step for your child
Speak with Pinnacle about your questions, a child-specific assessment and everyday support.