Dying for a good night's sleep?
Considering a tattoo?
Researching a medical condition?
Just want to eat better?

• Our up-to-date and user-friendly lending library contains books, DVDs, CDs, and other media that UT students can check out.
• Knowledgeable staff can assist you with online research to find credible resources.
• We also stock a huge variety of free pamphlets, handouts, and posters. Many items are available in quantity for students who are planning educational presentations.

Popular topics include:
• sleep
• healthy eating
• fitness
• sexual health
• alcohol/drugs
• relationships
• stress

Finding quality health information on the Web can sometimes be a challenge. For guidelines on distinguishing questionable sites from credible resources, click Finding Credible Health Information Online in Related Links.

You may not have the time to review each site carefully. Browse Online Health Information in Related Links for credible general and specific health-related sites compiled by our professional health educators.

To get current, useful information about a medication, health topic, or condition, click Online Health Encyclopedia in Related Links.

Whats keeping you up at night?

How much sleep do you need?
Sleep needs vary. Generally, most healthy adults need an average of eight hours of sleep per night. However, some individuals can function without sleepiness or drowsiness with as little as six hours. Others can't perform at their peak unless they've slept ten hours.

Warning signs of insufficient sleep

• Sleeping less than you think you need to
• Difficulty waking up in the morning
• Excessive sleepiness during the day
• Unintentionally falling asleep during class, while reading a book, doing homework, or watching TV
• Sleeping longer during weekends or vacations
• Difficulty with memory or concentration
• Difficulty controlling your emotions or feeling irritable
• Increased tendency to take naps most days

Sleep Debt
A sleep debt can occur from not getting enough quality sleep. This sleep debt may cause you to experience "problem sleepiness" in which you are sleepy most days of the week. Other consequences may include:

• Slowed reaction time while driving, possibly leading to accidents
• Increased proneness to injury
• Increased irritability
• Difficulty making decisions
• Decreased creativity and spontaneity
• Depressed moods
• Decreased motivation, memory, and concentration
• Erratic behavior
• Greater likelihood of problems such as stomach upset or headaches

Good habits for quality sleep
Find time to nap if you can't get enough sleep at night.

• When you nap, you get mostly deep, non-REM sleep. In this way, a nap helps to pay off a sleep debt without shortening the next night's sleep.
• If you anticipate a night with too little sleep, take a nap beforehand. A nap in advance seems to work best to reduce sleep-loss problems.
• If you suffer from insomnia, napping may make falling asleep at night harder. Some people find that relaxation exercises such as yoga are a good replacement for naps.

Reduce stress that can cause sleep loss

• Exercise regularly (but not within 2 hours of bedtime).
• If you lie awake worrying or thinking about things you need to do, keep a "worry journal." An hour or so before bed, make a list of worries and the next day's tasks. Think of the journal as a place to store these things leaving you free to sleep.

Keep your sleep-wake clock and your external cues in synch

• As much as possible, keep to a regular schedule for meals, bedtime, and rising. If you're having trouble falling asleep, get up at the same time every day (even on weekends!), no matter when you went to bed.
• Whenever you need to be especially acute and alert, give yourself a week of regular bed and rising times. This helps set your internal clock to a good sleep schedule.
• Since darkness is a "sleep cue", sleep in a darkened room (or wear eyeshades if you have a roommate).
• A quiet room or "white noise" (such as a fan) can help keep nightly sleep cycles regular.

In the hour before bedtime, do things that relax you. Studying a textbook is a famous sleep-inducer. You could also take a warm bath, meditate, read a not-too-engrossing book, or drink warm milk.

Are "alertness aids" helpful?
The rigors of college life can keep students from getting a sufficient amount or quality of sleep. As a result, students may be tempted, even desperate, for a substance that will make them feel less tired during the day. While these substances may work in the short run, they actually cause "rebound sleepiness" - feeling more tired over the long run than you did before consuming the substance.

Some of the more common substances/products include:

• Red Bull and other energy drinks (contain caffeine and sometimes other substances)
• Coffee, tea, sodas
• Nicotine (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff)
• Vivarin, No-Doze (both contain caffeine as the alert aid)
• Amphetamines (speed)
• Ritalin or other ADD/ADHD medications

Consequences of alertness aids

Caffeine - The most notable desirable effects from caffeine occur with low to moderate doses (50-200mg) and include increased alertness and increased ability to concentrate. Higher doses of caffeine can induce negative effects, such as nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, headaches, and occasionally rapid heartbeat. Excess caffeine can cause problem sleepiness to worsen by delaying the onset of sleep, causing more frequent awakenings, and decreasing the total number of hours spent asleep.

Nicotine - A highly addictive stimulant, nicotine absorbed via the bloodstream increases both alertness and relaxation. Nicotine is disruptive to sleep because it actually causes a person to take longer to fall asleep, to awaken more often, and to experience less REM (Rapid Eye Movement sleep, during which you dream) and non-REM (deep) sleep, thereby making you feel sleepy the next day.

Amphetamines - Also known as speed, crystal, crank, or uppers. While these dangerous stimulants seem to erase feelings of fatigue, they speed up the body and overload the central nervous system making it more difficult for you to fall asleep when you really want to.

Ritalin / Adderol, and other ADD medications - Prescription stimulants used to treat ADD/ADHD. People who take more than the prescribed amount or who use these or similar medications without a prescription can experience insomnia, rapid or arrhythmic heartbeat, dizziness, irritability, and headaches. Some evidence suggests that this type of medication can produce both tolerance and physical addiction when taken recreationally (without medical supervision).

Is Melatonin the answer?
Melatonin, a naturally secreted hormone in humans, affects our circadian (daily sleep-wake) rhythms to naturally induce sleep. Since the Food and Drug Administration considers melatonin a dietary supplement rather than a prescription drug, researchers caution people against self-medicating with it. Melatonin pills often contain impurities, and the correct dosage, method and time of delivery, and related side effects are not fully known. Taking melatonin is still an experimental approach to reducing sleep problems. Recent studies have shown that too much melatonin produces fatigue and short temper.

Although these substances may seem helpful for temporarily combating problem sleepiness, their tendency to cause rebound sleepiness and potential side effects make them risky alternatives. Getting enough quality sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise are the keys to performing your best. Sleep itself is the only good substitute for insufficient sleep.

For more information about Ritalin, Adderol, and other ADD medications, click the article on "study drugs" in Related Links.

Should I seek help?
See a healthcare provider you experience if any of the following problems:

• Your sleep problems seriously interfere with school, work, or relationships with friends or family.
• You rely on sleeping pills to make you sleep or on amphetamines to keep you alert.
• You have depression, chronic anxiety, pain, or a change in medication. A healthcare provider can help with these possible causes of sleep problems.
• You snore heavily or stop breathing at intervals during the night, often starting again with a gasp. These symptoms may indicate sleep apnea, which results from a blocked or partly blocked airway. Sleep apnea is readily treatable, but can be dangerous if left untreated. If your roommate, spouse, or partner complains about your snoring, it's worth checking out.

To schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider at University Health Services, call the UHS Appointments Line at (512) 471-4955 during normal business hours.

For more information about sleep, fatigue, self-care, and other health issues, visit the Online Health Information of our Web site or check out the Related Links.