Assistant Professor and Family Nurse Practitioner Teresa Valerio, who also studies and treats sleep problems, says sleep insomnia has become an issue on ISU’s campus and other campuses over the past century.

The cause of insomnia is often a combination of many factors and triggered by stress, Valerio said.

However, Valerio recently offered tips based on her recent study for students to prevent them from missing anymore valuable sleep.

“Multiple studies have reported that 20 to 60 percent of college students have problems sleeping,” Valerio said.

Valerio said this is a widespread problem that has been documented for over 10 years and has not improved.

“Currently, Dr. Myoung-Jin Kim and I are analyzing data on sleep problems of 178,091 students from 2008 through 2010 collected on the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II,” she said. 

Valerio said they hope to better understand the relationships between sleep, behaviors, functioning and interest in health information.

Sleep problems were proved to be a significant problem at ISU, according to the Spring 2011 ACHA-NCHA II survey, Valerio said.

According to the study, 24.7 percent of students reported their sleep difficulties had an impact on their academics, 30.4 percent said their sleep difficulties were traumatic or very difficult to handle, 65 percent reported they felt tired three to seven days a week and 44.7 percent said daytime sleepiness was a big problem, she explained.

“Fortunately, there is help for ISU students through self-help measures or health care professionals including a sleep specialist,” Valerio said.

Students with sleep problems should try practicing good habits, which can be found online, including ISU Health Promotion and Wellness or ISU Student Counseling Services websites, she added.

“If the problem does not resolve within two to four weeks, then they should make an appointment at Student Health Services to be seen by the sleep specialist or another health care provider to evaluate the sleep problem,” she explained.

Valerio said students should think of sleep as a good investment for their future because it supports good health, academic and work performance and relationships.

“Make a plan for adequate sleep, eight to nine hours each night for college students and keep a regular sleep schedule,” she explained. “Have a relaxation period before bedtime, turn off the electronics and read or listen to relaxing music so your mind and body have a chance to wind down.”