Sleep Troubles

A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation revealed that “35 percent of Americans report their sleep quality as “poor” or “only fair.” Twenty percent of Americans reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed on any of the past seven days” (2015). Similarly, the CDC noted that one-third of Americans do not get enough sleep (sleeping less than 7 hours each night). This is NOT good.

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A new beginning can be exhaustingly exciting.

Although the beginning of a new academic year is exciting and brings with it promises for a fresh start, it also requires a lot of energy to both acclimate to and balance a new schedule. As we work to “get in to the groove”, our energy levels can suffer as a result of increased stress and decreased quality sleep. If left unmanaged, we will soon find ourselves not just experiencing transitory moments of low energy, but a chronic feeling of fatigue.

Fatigue. We are all familiar with it. We have all experienced it. We all try to avoid it. Fatigue – it’s the nasty little gremlin that taunts us frequently throughout the week. What might differ for each of us is the specific cause of fatigue. Whether it is a lack of sleep, boredom, stress, poor activity and nutrition, hormonal imbalances, or other health-related triggers, experiencing fatigue has a significant impact on daily life. Feeling tired impacts one’s ability to remain focused, productive, alert, and engaged. As a result, our capacity to learn new information and retain that information is severely diminished.   (more…)