84 Chapter 4: Stress Management and Sleep Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep As previously mentioned, sleep plays a vital role in effective stress management as well as the prevention and recovery of various emotional and physiological conditions. Provided below are six recommendations for improving your sleep hygiene (i.e., quality sleep habits): 1. Create a quality sleep environment. A quality sleep environment means that the bedroom should be quiet, dark, and cool. In terms of temperature, most individuals prefer their room to be around 65°F (Maas, 1999). 2. Establish a consistent bedtime and nighttime routine. Constantly changing one’s bedtime will affect the internal circadian biological clock thereby making one’s sleep cycle unbalanced and more difficult to regulate. 3. Whenever possible, use the bed just for sleeping. Using one’s bed to perform other activities such as eating, studying or watching tv sends mixed signals to the subconscious thus potentially making falling asleep more difficult. 4. Keep the cellphone out of sight and out of reach. The tendency for most individuals is to check their phone every time there is a notification of an email, text or social media post. Keeping the cellphone away from the nightstand can help to reduce or eliminate this temptation. 5. If possible, avoid looking at bright screens for at least 2-3 hours before bed. The blue light emitted from electronics can block the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin making it harder to fall and stay asleep. Although abstinence from screen time is preferred, the use of blue light filters can help minimize the impact that electronic devices have on melatonin levels. 6. Exercise regularly. Research shows that individuals who exercise regularly go to sleep faster and sleep longer than sedentary individuals (Kubitz et al., 1996). Summary • There is a strong correlation between stress and performance and depending upon how we perceive that stress and the body’s response to it, we can either positively or negatively impact personal performance. • There are three stages to stress response: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion which collectively induce a cascade of physiological responses within the body and if not properly managed, can lead to deleterious physical and emotional harm. • The college experience is a major source of stress for most students, where the top five stressors experienced include: academics, relationships, future concerns, time management, and financial matters. • Individuals who engage in successful stress management (those who view situations optimistically, exercise regularly, eat well and receive adequate rest) are less likely to
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