The Office of Health Promotion (OHP) has hit the bigtime with recent acknowledgement in the New York Times. The focus? Sleep, and how to ensure Carleton students have the support and tools they need to get enough of it.
Specifically, Carleton is piloting a Sleep Coaching program after conducting a sleep study with athletic teams last year. Study findings identified a positive relationship between a consistent 7+ hours of sleep per night and levels of positive emotions. However, many athletes reported a lack of accountability to meet sleep goals, suggesting that a personalized support system might help more students achieve the desired 7+ hours.
According to OHP’s website, Sleep Coaching is a method to guide you through the steps of identifying:
· your regular sleep patterns
· the things that are preventing you from getting enough quality sleep
· steps you can take to improve your sleep
The program is available for any student willing to track their sleep for a week and meet at least twice with one of four trained Student Wellness Advocates (SWAs). The program provides one-on-one support, as well as access to various tools to track and improve sleep. For example, students can borrow fitness trackers to complete the initial sleep log as well as light boxes to help regulate sleep and wake cycles.
Janet Lewis Muth, Director of Health Promotion says, “Our ultimate goal is to help as many Carls as possible learn how to sleep for better physical, mental and academic health. In spring 2018 [according to the College Student Health Survey], nearly 62% of Carls reported getting enough sleep to feel rested on only 3 or fewer nights per week. (To flip it to the positive, only 6% of Carls reported getting enough sleep on 6-7 nights per week.) That number is just not acceptable. We feel like a culture shift is needed, and that sleep coaching (especially done by peers!) is a way to help more Carls recognize and accept that quality, sufficient sleep is not a luxury but a necessity.”
