This newsletter is intended to provide some helpful reminders from the Refresh Sleep program, along with some new content to help you continue to prioritize your sleep and overall health.
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There's something special about the Chicago summertime. The summer months are warmly embraced after those cold, wet, and snowy months, with lots of social events, picnics at the Point, and being outside more frequently. Some might say that summertime living is easy, but does that mean it's restful?
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Delayed Melatonin Release
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The extended hours of summer can be a double-edged sword. The sunlight can improve our mood; however, there is some evidence that seasonal changes can impact sleep patterns and cause you to lose sleep in the summer months. The most reasonable answer to the shift in sleep hours is due to sunlight exposure, which then suppresses the body's production of melatonin, our body's sleepytime hormone. Some things you can do to boost natural melatonin are to eat foods containing tryptophan (chicken, turkey, bananas, peanuts), take a warm bath, and limit artifical light exposure.
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Ideally, in preparation for sleep, our bodies decrease our temperature, which is to assist us with sleeping more deeply to preserve energy. However, if the ambient temperature is higher, it makes it tough to sustain a deep sleep. Sleeping in light clothing, using lightweight and breathable bedding (like cotton sheets), and setting your room temperature between 60-69 degrees is recommended. If that's too steep on your electric bill, that's okay too; reducing the humidity will significantly help too. You can do that by using fans or a dehumidifier. You can also invest in blackout curtains to keep the sun out during the day, lowering the room's temperature. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, keeping the blinds closed throughout the day can decrease solar heat from windows by up to 60%! Check out this Wirecutter article on how to keep the bedroom cool on a budget.
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With the weather getting nicer, it's natural for our habits to shift; this can translate into more socializing, drinking, and eating late at night. All of these activities too close to bedtime can make it harder for you to get to sleep or have quality sleep. We recommend sticking to a consistent sleep routine (even on the weekends) to help your circadian clock adjust. Speaking of socializing, if you use your phone or other blue-light technology, shift the screen to "night shift" mode and dim it to the lowest possible setting to reduce the impact of blue light on your sleep.
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Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
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Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is the decision to sacrifice sleep for leisure time by not scheduling time for leisure throughout the day. Although it can be tempting at the moment, it can lead to severe sleep deprivation with significant negative effects on your mental, physical, and emotional health. Check out the video to learn more!
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With the long-anticipated springtime arriving, we can experience a disruption to our sleep pattern. If the excitement causes you to forget to get enough sleep each night, we suggest downloading a sleep tracking app to help understand the links between your sleep, your environment, and factors that promote better sleep. Student Wellness has a partnership with RISE, an energy and sleep tracker subscription app created by the team of sleep experts at Rise Science. It helps you unlock better sleep and enjoy more energy, day after day.
The app tracks how much sleep you owe your body and helps you pay it back while also predicting a daily energy schedule which allows you to optimize your schedule and increase performance. There is also a wealth of informational materials under the learning tab to help utilize the app to the fullest potential. Anyone with a UChicago email can download the app free until 2026 by visiting www.risescience.com/uchicago.
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You can take a vacation from your alarm clock! If you're interested in identifying how much sleep you need, try the "sleep vacation" experiment.
1. Pick the same bedtime every night.
2. Turn off your alarm.
3. Record what time you wake up.
Over the course of a few weeks, you'll begin to see a pattern of how many hours of sleep you need each night.
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If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Bridget Marley (bmarley@uchicago.edu). If you need further support for your sleep concerns at any time, please contact UChicago Student Wellness (wellness.uchicago.edu or 773.834.WELL) to set up an appointment.
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