sleep typically occurs during the last
half of their eight-hour sleep cycle,
around 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., Ming says.
Dreams occur during that sleep
state, and the brain begins to form
permanent memories from the day,
she adds, “but that process won’t
occur if you have to get up and go to
school during that time.”
Luckily, sleep experts say, one
thing college students can try to
control is picking courses that fall
during the time they’re most awake.
“If your sleep schedule is misaligned
with your class schedule, then your
normal daytime and academic perfor-
mance is compromised,” says Ming.
Academic advisors at New Jersey
City University sit with first-year
students at some point during the
first six weeks of the semester to do
a time assessment. “By far, almost all
of their schedules show they actually
have more stuff to do than there are
hours in the day, and I don’t think
that they realize that,” says Bailey.
The university offers a one-credit
course for first-year students called
“Orientation to College” that helps
them learn how to navigate college
and time management, talk about
getting enough sleep and other self-
care rituals necessary for success.
Students are also advised to avoid
pulling “all-nighters,” which is when
they give up sleep to get more study-
ing done.
“Consistent all-nighters correlate
to more stress, overeating and under-
performing,” says Bailey.
At its New Brunswick campus,
Rutgers offers two mental health
educator workshops by peers that
directly address sleep issues.
At Ramapo College in Mahwah,
the health services team sees an
influx of students mostly in the first
week of school and during mid-terms
and finals, says Debra Lukacsko, the
associate director of health services.
And to address students’ concerns
outside of school, it’s important to
overcome the stigma associated with
asking for help, Bailey says. “A lot of
our students have trouble asking for
help. Either they get embarrassed,
they don’t want us to think they
can’t achieve here or they don’t want
to be judged for not knowing how
to navigate the system,” she says.
“But my job was created to help, so
there’s no shame in asking for help
when it’s needed.” ■
TIPS FROM THE WILLIAM
PATERSON UNIVERSITY PEER
HEALTH ADVOCATE PROGRAM
This student-run group, which has been active on campus for
more than 15 years, develops, promotes and spreads health-related
programming to support the well-being of their fellow students. Peer
Health Advocates give educational workshops, theatrical presenta-
tions and set up tables with information around campus, working
with other campus organizations and hosting substance-free events.
“The peer health advocates serve as positive role models both on
and off campus by living healthy lifestyles,” says peer health educa-
tor Elizabeth Amaya-Fernandez. “The PHAs lead topic-specific pro-
gramming initiatives during monthly evening wellness events, special
programming on mental health, and during the week prior to final
exams, [which is] designated as De-stress Fest Week. During this time,
there are numerous events promoting healthy study habits and the
use of various methods to reduce stress.” These include:
• meditation
• yoga and other exercise
• drinking water
• not using electronics at least one hour before going to sleep
• not sleeping with your phone
• reducing caffeine intake
• eating healthy snacks throughout the day
• knowing and accessing resources on campus
(such as the Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center,
the Tutoring Center and the Cheng Library at WPU)
THEY MAKE A GOOD TEAM William Paterson University peer health
advocates, back row: Saul Perez, Jason Gustavo and Hajja Abdur-Rahmann;
center row, Marianny Fermin, Alanis Bindels and Onyeka Anyanaso;
foreground, Jhossett Reyes and Ike Alabi
Amaya-Fernandez says that over the past two years, staff and PHAs have been upping their outreach efforts to meet the growing demand for
health care-related events, leading the university to provide more “self-care spaces”— rooms for healthy snacking and relaxing activities —
during the school year. —CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER
WAYNE MAGAZINE FALL 2018
25