How to get your sleep back on track

There are lots of things that college students prioritize such as their grades, being on time, and other personal needs. Sleep is a one thing that students sometimes overlook.

“We actually get a lot of students that come in dealing with a multitude of issues when it comes to sleeping,” said Etisha Wilbon, director of counseling and psychological services at Fresno State.

Being on your phone too much, consuming an overload of caffeine, stress, anxiety, and much more can cause an unbalanced sleep schedule. Wilbon says there is a solution.

“Talk about things like sleep hygiene,” said Wilbon. “What can you do to kind of prepare yourself? It’s almost like training your brain and training your body to get exhausted or things that you can do before bedtime to kind of exhaust yourself to ensure that you’re getting more sleep.”

Kathryn A. Dunbar, assistant director of of the University Advising Center, gives an example of what sleep hygiene can look like.

“Quieting my atmosphere as best I can before I go to bed,” said Dunbar. “Calming things down, quiet music or no music because sometimes we’re just inundated with noise. So just no music, dim the lights, and no phone for 30 minutes. It honestly helps calm your mind down.”

You can make an appointment at the Student Health Center by walking in or online. Academic Success offers time management workshop for all students.