FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Frances Wiley

NOVEMBER 20, 2015

(555)321-4785

Telephone:

E-mail:
fbooth@liberty.edu
Website:
www.sleepsmarts.weebly.
com

SLEEP SMARTS
DONT LOSE BECAUSE YOU CANT SNOOZE
(Reading level: 10.3 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level)
(LYNCHBURG, VA) Liberty
University wants to teach students about why getting a good nights sleep is
so important to your health. By joining with the National Sleep Foundation,
Liberty University invites all students who
are taking college classes attend a free education session called Sleep
Smarts.
By joining the National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Smarts is a 16 week
class that all freshmen beginning college at Liberty
University must take. There is a strong link between risk for sleep
disorders in college freshmen and recalling things they were taught in
class and how well they do in class over the year. The National Sleep
Foundation found that half of young adults do not wakeup
refreshed and more than half of college students were not asked about how
well the slept at night by their doctor.1 The Sleep Smarts class is for Young
Adults, ages 18-24 years old, and explains why getting a good nights sleep
is important. Students will learn what happens to their health if you do not
get enough sleep at night, and about common sleep disorders in people their
age. This program will also talk about multiple sleep aids many college
students use, and give students tips for a good nights sleep.

Lee Ann Hamilton, assistant director of health promotion and

preventative services at the University of Arizona stated, The average
student is functioning with a clinical sleep disorder They average about
6.5 hours per night (though students tend to over-report in such surveys).
But sleep time and quality measurements declined over the course of the
academic year, while anxiety, depression and conflict with family, friends,
and roommates all rose.3

Not getting enough sleep is related to a greater risk of

developing diseases the affect your heart, blood sugars, weight, and your
mood.3 Poor sleep can also increase the risk of being in an accident in the car
or at work.3 Sleep can also affect students performance in
class. Students who work or study for long hours may not get enough sleep
during the night, leading to students feeling sleepy or sluggish during
classes, trouble listening, taking tests, or making decisions. A few tips to
getting a good nights sleep are; sticking to a sleep schedule, not
exercising, eating large meals, or drinking caffeine too late in the day,
relaxing or taking a hot bath before bed, creating a good sleeping setting,
and talking with your doctor if you continue to have trouble falling asleep.4
Beginning in January, a free session from the Sleep
Smarts program will be offered on college campuses near Liberty
University. Colleges currently participating include; Lynchburg College, Sweet
Briar College, and Central Virginia Community College.

-moreFor more information about the Sleep Smarts program, how your school
can participate, or how you can join, please visit
www.sleepsmarts.weebly.com or call Frances Wiley at (555)321-4785.

-end-

1.

2.

3.

4.

Austin, B. Sleep Deprivation in the College Student: A Problem Worth

Addressing. https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/
2376/3621/B_Austin_019795826.pdf?sequence=1. Published 2007.
Accessed 2015.
Pope, J. College Open Their Eyes: ZZZs Are Key to GPA. The Huffington
Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/31/colleges-open-theireyes-_n_1846148.html. Updated October 2012. Accessed November
2015.
Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Center for Disease Control and
Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/index.html. Updated March
2015. Accessed November 2015.
IN BRIEF: Your Guide to Health Sleep. National Institute of
Health. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/sleep/healthysleepfs
.pdf. Updated September 2011. Accessed November 2015.