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Sleep and exercise are critical to your physical and mental health. They contribute to your overall well-being and are just as important as your coursework and social life.

Sleep

When life gets busy and you feel like there is not enough time in a day to accomplish everything you want, what is the first thing you sacrifice? For most people, the answer to that question is sleep. A lot of people even feel guilty for getting adequate sleep, often thinking it means that they’re not working hard enough. This is not true! With the demands of postsecondary life, it’s easy to lose track of time and get caught up in schoolwork or other engagements. Although it’s OK to have a late night here and there to finish up an assignment or have some fun with your friends, it’s important to not let those exceptions become habits. Sleep allows your body and brain to recover; which means that without proper sleep, there can be major implications for your health and your learning. Here is just a small list of all the different ways inadequate sleep can affect your health.

• Physical health problems
  • When your body has less time to recover, the natural defences built into your body (your immune system) to protect you from diseases and medical conditions  become weakened.
  • Lack of adequate sleep can increase the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, stroke and other conditions.
• Mental health problems
  • Studies have shown that insomnia is associated with a higher risk for depression and anxiety.
• Poor emotional and behavioural control
  • Sleep gives your brain the time it needs to rest and recover so you can feel refreshed the next day. When your brain is tired it becomes more difficult to control your emotions and make rational decisions, affecting your ability to cope with aspects of everyday life.
• Low energy and mood
  • Sleep deprivation can lead to low energy levels making you feel sluggish, tired and unmotivated.
  • It also inhibits your emotional regulation centre, which can disturb your overall mood and make you feel more frustrated/stressed/sad than usual.
• Problems with memory
  • Memory consolidation takes place during sleep, which means it is essential for processing memories and remembering important information. Avoid last-minute cramming and all-nighters. Choosing to study instead of sleeping won’t help you retain more information, only sleep can do that!
• Higher levels of distractibility and lack of focus
  • Poor sleep results in higher distractibility and decreased focus meaning it will negatively impact your ability to pay attention in lectures/tutorials/labs and focus on independent work/tasks.

Sleep is one of the most underrated healthy habits! By committing to simply getting adequate sleep, you automatically put yourself in a position to improve your memory and concentration, your immune system, your mood and your grades.

Getting Better Sleep and “Sleep Hygiene”

So how do you go from deciding to get better sleep to actually doing it? You may be surprised to know that there is more to it than just sleeping in longer each day. Your behaviours around sleep are referred to as your sleep hygiene and include things like how regular your sleep schedule is, distractions in your room and time spent in your bed apart from sleeping like watching TV.

More resources

Here are some additional resources to help you analyze, regulate and improve your sleep:

• Algonquin College’s Sleep Diary Template
• Sleep Cycle App
• Sleep Time App
• Pillow App

Exercise

According to the World Health Organization, adults aged 18 to 64 years of age should do at least 150 to 300 minutes or 2.5 to five hours of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week (some conditions do apply). For individuals who already incorporate physical activity in their weekly routine, this may not seem like a lot. However, when physical activity isn’t already part of your routine, it can be difficult to spare a few hours a week when your schedule already seems completely booked! But just like sleep, exercising is crucial for your health and well-being. Make it a priority to schedule some time for physical activity in your weekly schedule. You’ll see in the next section that this might be easier than you think!

So how exactly does exercise impact your health and well-being? When you exercise, your body produces chemicals in your brain called endorphins. Endorphins are magical molecules that act as natural pain killers and trigger positive feelings. When you exercise, you are not only strengthening your heart and immune system, but you are actively sharpening your brain and creating a feeling of euphoria. Talk about an energy booster!

When someone talks about physical activity, do you picture someone lifting heavy weights or running 10 kilometres? Although those are popular methods of exercise, physical activity refers to all forms of movement and includes a diverse range of activities, some of which you might not have considered to count as exercise! The nice thing about being a Seneca student is that you have access to your campus’ recreational and athletic facilities, such as fully equipped fitness centres and sports fields. If you don’t see something there that you like, that is completely OK, there are many other types of physical activities. The most important thing is to choose activities you enjoy; don’t be afraid to switch it up and try new things!

Aside from the campus, you are also a part of your local community. Consider the many types of exercise you will have access to where you live like hiking trails, bike lanes, rowing, swimming, skiing, or other fun activities.

At-Home Exercise

If you’re feeling a bit shy about working out in public or want to save some time by exercising at home, there are lots of really great  videos online to get you started.