Tips to getting a better night sleep.

Getting a better night sleep can consist of a better routine before bed, exercise, nutrition, relaxation, and sleep positions.

Some routine ideas can include reading, listening to calming music, journaling, taking a nice bath, or drinking some sleep tea.

Nutrition can affect our night sleep. Drink less caffeine and eat less sugar. Don't eat right before bed, it turns the food into fat instead of using it as energy for our body. Instead, have a light snack or drink such as a glass of water and apple. 

Exercising can also put a big strain on our night sleep. The National Sleep Foundation states you shouldn’t exercise 3 hours prior to bed. This is because when we exercise we increase our body temperature and it energizes you. Your body temperature needs to be cool to fall asleep and relaxed not energized. This can differ person to person. If you are able to exercise an hour before and have no problems sleeping then go for it, this is only a suggestion.

Ever have nights that you lie wide awake with no hope of falling asleep? Try this easy trick, while you are laying in bed do some deep breathing, guided imagery, and progressive relaxation.  An example of this is inhaling for 4 seconds, holding it for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 4 seconds. Doing this 6 times through helps to relax and bring you into the sleeping state of mind. 

By: Lexi Koplin

Top 3 Sleep Solutions!

Do you sleep too much? Do you doze off in class? Is there a better way to nap? We have the answers to all your questions!

First off, is there such a thing as too much sleep? According to the National Sleep Foundation, they answered yes. This is for the people that sleep 11 hours or more a night, day in and day out. This may be a result that the quality of sleep that you are getting is poor, which might mean that you have sleep apnea or a chemical imbalance. If this is you, please seek medical attention.

Secondly, can you fight the urge to sleep when it isn’t appropriate i.e. in the middle of an in-class lecture? YES! You can! There are a couple of things that you could do to fight the urge. If you have a piece of gum, pop that in your mouth. If you are typing on your computer, switch to writing, bounce your leg, tap your toes, switch positions that you have been sitting in for the last hour, excuse yourself briefly and get up to go get a couple of gulps of water. All of these things that are listed are so simple but just might have a GIANT impact.

Last, but definitely not least, is there a trick to napping? Sure thing! For those of you that may not have gotten enough sleep previously at night, a nap can be a great solution. The trick is the length of your nap will determine the effectiveness. The recommended length is either 20 minutes or 90 minutes. The benefits with a 20 minute snooze will enhance motor skills versus 90 minutes where this will help make new connections in the brain and can aid in solving creative problems stated by the National Sleep Foundation. #ChoosetoSnooze

For more sources check out: 

https://sleep.org/articles/is-it-possible-_to-get-too-much-sleep/

https://sleep.org/articles/napping-health-benefits/

By: Brittany Parry

Are You Sleeping Enough?

  Do you feel you are getting enough sleep? Students are deeply pressured to do well in school while oftentimes being employed at the same time. Therefore, sleep is commonly neglected or limited even though it is crucial for your mental & physical health, as well as injury prevention.

     Don’t endanger yourself & others by getting behind the wheel too drowsy! A lack of sleep will impair your reaction time, judgement, mood while driving & vision. It is no surprise that drowsy drivers are responsible for 21% of fatal crashes each year. Those responsible are typically 15-24 or 75-79 years old and these accidents commonly occur between the hours of 6am-7:59am & 2:00pm-5:59pm.   [Source: Highway Safety]

   Individuals should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night. If you sleep 1-2 hours less than the recommended time, you are 1.3 times more likely to be in an accident while sleeping 2-3 hours less increases your risk by 3 times!   [Source: AAA Foundation]

    The people that are tired behind the wheel are those do not sleep enough, have undiagnosed sleeping disorders, take medication, and shift workers that work night shifts or long shifts [Source: CDC]. If you do end up losing sleep, be prepared for the multiple effects. There is a relationship between mood and sleep. Losing sleep may cause or enhance feelings of stress, irritability, motivation, anger, and depression. Could this impact how you drive? In reverse, mood & depression can lead to sleep problems as well. As a student, you may have already experienced this. How many nights have stress & anxiety prevented you from falling asleep?

If falling asleep is impacting your daily living, schedule an appointment with a counselor at the Center for Health & Counselor!

Prevent an accident by:

·       Pulling over to nap for 15-20 minute or switching drivers

·       Even better, improving your sleeping habits to get enough sleep. Learn more about sleep by visiting the “Choose to Snooze” event on March 9^th from 11am-1pm at the Student Event Center.

Learn more at http://drowsydriving.org/about/

By: Esteban Moreno

How To Show You Care!

As Valentine’s Day approaches, couples are preparing to show each other how much each one cares for one another. They buy gifts, flowers, and set up their ideal date night!

However, there is one more way to show you care that is often overlooked: Consent. Consent is the agreement made between individuals to engage in sexual activity.

Before being intimate, it is important to communicate with each other, establish boundaries and get verbal consent (i.e. “Yes” or “I am okay with that”) for sexual activities. In the heat of the moment, remember to ask questions along the way like “Are you comfortable” or “Is this okay?”

It is important to remember:

1.     A person under the influence of drugs or alcohol CANNOT give consent.

2.     You don’t owe your partner sex!

3.     Even if you have received consent once to engage in an activity, you should ask again the next. Your partner may not have felt comfortable or they just do not feeling like doing it.

4.     Pressuring someone to say “Yes” to sex does not count as consent.

5.     Kissing or flirting is not a sign of consent.

6.    Consent is just as important in marriage as it is when dating.

Come learn more on how to make your relationship even more Healthy, Happy and Intimate on Wednesday, February 15 from 11am-12pm in Room 025 (Den 2) of the Student Center.

For more information, check out  www.loveisrespect.org or www.rainn.org!

By: Esteban Moreno

You Belong Here

Special Thanks to Seth Riker

Everything You Need to Know About PrEP

What is PrEP?

 Once seen as a death sentence, living a normal life with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is possible. However, prevention is still an important goal in the community. Once HIV is present in the body, the virus attacks and weakens the immune system leaving the person susceptible to many illnesses.

 PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) can be prescribed to you by a physician to reduce the risk of HIV infection by blocking and preventing the spread of the virus. Before the physician can prescribe the medication, you must have tested HIV negative from the 3-6 months that you last had engaged in unprotected sex (oral, anal, vaginal) or injected drugs.

Why should you take PrEP?

    Choosing to be on this medication is empowering. You are taking a stance to protect your body from HIV BEFORE potentially being exposed to the virus. HIV can be spread through:

• Semen or vaginal fluid when engaging in oral, vaginal, or anal sex.
• Blood
• Breast Milk

Who takes PrEP?

If you plan to engage in sex with an HIV positive (+) partner or are planning a pregnancy with an HIV (+) partner. PreEP is mainly taken by MSM (men who have sex with men), transgender women, and heterosexual women. Anyone who wants to protect themselves can talk to a physician to see if they can get prescribe PrEP.

****In case of emergency situations with risk of exposure to HIV such as sexual assault, PrEP should not be taken. Instead, PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) can be prescribed to reduce the chance of infection. PEP is taken AFTER possible exposure to HIV and must be taken with within 72 hours, either once or twice daily for 28 days.

What precautions should I be aware about?

DO continue follow-ups with your physician for an HIV and STI tests every three (3) months.

DO take the pills daily as directed. If taken correctly, the medication has a higher chance of protecting you from the virus.

DO continue to take other preventative measures.

DON’T stop wearing a condom. PrEP will not protect you from contracting STI’s such as chlamydia & gonorrhea. Plus, using a condom alongside with PrEP will increase the chance of preventing HIV.

DON’T share your PrEP pills with anyone else. Taking PrEP that was not prescribed for you can bad for your health.

Be aware that PrEP doesn’t take effect immediately! The CDC states that PrEP will provide for receptive anal sex after 7 days, and after 20 days for oral & vaginal sex or injection drug use. Nausea is a common side effect when taking this medication, but there are no known serious side effects.

Check out https://www.worldaidsday.org/ to learn more about HIV/AIDS and to see how you can fight the stigma.

To learn more visit:

http://www.utahaids.org/

http://www.aids.org

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/