Tag Archives: sleep

Don’t Drowse and Drive

Posted by getPHYT in Injury, Violence & Safety and tagged with , , , ,

We all know that driving under the influence is stupid, but what about driving while drowsy? DWD? Is that even a thing? IDK, but let’s NOT make it a thing.

Similar to driving under the influence, driving while drowsy is dangerous and impairs your ability to drive safely. You pay less attention to what’s going on around you. Your reaction time is slower. And your ability to make decisions is affected. So, please no DUIs or DWDs!

Photo by Alyssa Llamas

Let’s compare apples to apples: DUIs and DWDs. After 18 hours of being awake, your brainpower (or lack of brainpower) is similar to that of someone with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05%. After about 24 hours of being awake, cognitive impairment is equivalent to a BAC of 0.10%. That’s higher than the legal limit (0.08%) in all states. So think again before you drive to campus after you’ve stayed up all night “studying” for an exam. Just take the shuttle to school!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 2.5% of fatal crashes and 2% of injury crashes involve drowsy driving. In fact, these numbers are probably underestimates. Up to 5,000 or 6,000 fatal crashes each year may be caused by drowsy drivers.

Here’s what you can do to prevent drowsy driving:

  • Get enough sleep! According to the National Institutes of Health, adults need 7 or 8 hours of sleep a day, while adolescents need 9 or 10 hours.
  • If you have a sleep disorder, make sure to seek treatment.
  • Refrain from drinking alcohol or taking sedating medications (like NyQuil) before driving.

If you’re yawning or blinking frequently, drifting from your lane, missing your exit, or have difficulty remembering the past few miles driven, then you’re probably drowsy and should not be driving. Simply turning up the radio or the AC aren’t effective ways to keep you alert. Pull over and rest for a bit or change drivers. If you’re driving a long distance, take a friend with you so you can take turns driving, help keep each other awake, and split gas money!

And remember…

Photo by Alyssa Llamas

Photo by Alyssa Llamas

By ALYSSA LLAMAS

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Oh Schmidt

Posted by getPHYT in Mental Health, Physical Activity & Exercise and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you watch New Girl, then you’re probably familiar with Schmidt. Nine out of ten times, he’s pretty much what you see in that video. But in episode 15 (Injured), Schmidt said something…profound. For once, he wasn’t JAR’d.

“Treat your body like a temple. Treat your body like a temple” – Schmidt.

Here’s how:

1. Eat healthy. This does not mean going on a Whole Foods (whole-lotta-money) diet. Click here for some tips from My Plate on how to stretch those food dollars. Make sure to include grains, veggies, and fruits into your everyday meals. Beware of Suga Suga Suga and Step Away from the Big Mac. And can we get some Waters All Around, Please? Thanks. Eat healthy and you may have what it takes to be America’s Next Fruit Ninja!

2. Be active. The CDC recommends 1 hour of physical activity every day for children & adolescents and 150 minutes of moderate-intense aerobic activity each week for adults. Keep your Head in the Game and play sports! Hear music and Just Dance!

3. Wash your hands. None of us know where those Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all have been. Plus, Clean Hands Save Lives.

4. Don’t smoke. Duh! So, want to go to college? Then you better quit smoking! Click here for tips from former smokers.

5. Stay positive. Stress Stinks! Don’t let your Horrible Bosses get the best of you. And don’t forget about those new years resolutions you made not too long ago. We Like Number 16 of Thought Catalog’s 20 New Year’s Resolutions for 20-Somethings.

6. Get sleep. The CDC recommends 7-9 hours of sleep. Rock-a-bye-baby!

7. Get check-ups. Make sure you’re up-to-date with all of your vaccines and tests. Sexy and I Know It? Yea, that’s great. But did you know that healthy is the new sexy? So if you get sick or feel pain, make an appointment with your doctor. Don’t go playing doctor and diagnosing yourself using WebMD. It’s Trichy Trichy Trichy.

For more info, check out CDC’s Tips for a Safe and Healthy Life.

By ALYSSA LLAMAS

Rock-a-bye Baby

Posted by getPHYT in Uncategorized and tagged with ,

Even James Franco falls asleep in class (image source: fanpop)

Stayed up late to watch funny/stupid YouTube videos? Woke up to a baby puddle of drool in the middle of lecture? Pulled an all-nighter?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might not be getting enough sleep. The CDC recommends 8.5-9.25 hours for 10-17 year olds and 7-9 hours for adults.

Insufficient sleep is linked to chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and depression. It can also cause motor vehicle and machinery related crashes, which often result in substantial injury and disability. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and unintentional accidents are 4 of the 7 leading causes of death in the United States. As dramatic as it may sound, catching some extra Z’s can help save your life.

More than two-thirds of teens don’t get enough sleep. Sleep-deprived teens are more likely to engage in risky health behaviors such as smoking cigarettes, getting into a physical fight, feeling sad or hopeless, and seriously considering suicide. There is talk of public health policies to delay the start of school so that students can get more sleep. But until that day comes, all you can really do is sleep.

“Pass out at 3. Wake up at 10. Go out and eat and do it again. Man, I love college.” Between the studying and the partying, getting an adequate amount of sleep has become a challenge for college students. Not doing so can impair your memory and concentration. Dr. Adam Knowlden, the lead researcher from the University of Cincinnati, explains, “During sleep, the brain acts like a hard drive on a computer. It goes in and cleans up memories and makes connections stronger, and it gets rid of things it doesn’t need.” So hey, instead of spending the night studying at the student center, how about you just sleep? After a full night’s rest, you’ll be more energetic and productive.

Flash forward 20 years. Now you’re working at some 9-5 job. Bad sleeping habits can decrease your productivity at work. Researchers have projected that more than $63 billion is lost due to poor job performances from insomnia. Insomnia is the inability to initiate or maintain sleep. Dr. Ronald Kessler, Ph.D, a psychiatric epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School, found that in actuality the primary cause of inefficiency was workers showing up too tired to perform their job effectively. Don’t be a waste of space. Sleep earlier. Get money, get paid.

Sleep Hygiene Tips from the CDC:

  1. Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning.
  2. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which is neither too hot or too cold.
  3. Make sure your bed is comfortable and use it only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music. Remove all TVs, computers, and other “gadgets” from the bedroom.
  4. Physical activity may help promote sleep, but not within a few hours of bedtime.
  5. Avoid large meals before bedtime.

And here’s a playlist of modern day lullabies (Bon Iver, Ellie Goulding, Bright Eyes, and more) that will surely send you into a deep slumber.

Good night!

By ALYSSA LLAMAS