
University freshers are advised to prioritise consistent waking times, morning daylight exposure, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine to improve sleep amid busy social schedules and long commutes, with experts warning that forcing early bedtimes can backfire and highlighting health risks like meningitis and freshers' flu.
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The article discusses common challenges faced by university freshers during the start of term, including social pressures, long commutes, and health risks, with a focus on sleep hygiene and preventive health measures.
It's the start of university - you're already on your fourth themed night out of the week and have signed up for every quirky-sounding society your campus has to offer.
But your relationship with your bed could be key to keeping up with a busy social life, as well as that lengthy reading list.
"If you can get out before 11am-ish then there's a part of the brain, just behind the eyes, that responds to light," says Jo Baker, a psychotherapist and student sleep and mental health expert.
"Getting daylight early on in the day is really going to help to keep your body in check. How you sleep at night starts with how you wake up in the morning."
Sleep is essential to learning and absorbing information. But late nights out, noisy flatmates and a strange new bed can mean good sleep habits go out the window.
For Anna-May, 20, it's her four-hour round trip from Kendal, Cumbria to study dance at the University of Salford that leaves her short of sleep. She gets about five hours a night - the alarm goes at 05:00.
"I track my sleep and get worried about how little I will get, and then sometimes that keeps me up," she says. "I can tell I'm more tired towards the end of the week and things can feel harder."
Forcing yourself to have an early night isn't going to work, according to Baker, especially if you end up lying wide awake in bed.
"Your brain learns this is somewhere I lie and get stressed about not being able to sleep - so the most important thing is a consistent waking time," she says.
When you feel groggy, it's tempting to chug multiple coffees or fizzy drinks. But caffeine hangs around in the body and blocks the build-up of sleepiness throughout the day.
Too many flat whites and you'll not only be short of cash - you could also develop a sleep problem.
Alcohol may also be a tempting way to boost your confidence around new people, but it doesn't help you sleep.
"When you fall asleep [after large amounts of alcohol], you're anaesthetised really. It's like having an anaesthetic. You're not asleep," Baker says.
In fact, alcohol pushes out the deep sleep which restores you physically, and replaces it with lighter sleep, which doesn't.
Emma Young, deputy director of student services for health and wellbeing at Manchester Metropolitan University points out the low-key alternatives during freshers' week.
"There are lots of alcohol-free events now, like sip and paint. You can also try wellness and wellbeing clubs, like yoga and crafts, if you don't fancy the sport or music societies."
Feeling unwell can of course impact your sleep patterns.
Freshers' flu is tricky to avoid, but good hand hygiene - washing regularly or using antibacterial hand gel - might just reduce your chances of getting a fever, sore throat and blocked nose, and spending a day or two in bed.
Meningitis is far more dangerous and requires urgent medical help (call 999). It can look a lot like freshers' flu but if it's not diagnosed, it can progress very quickly and lead to seizures, brain damage and sepsis. That's why a free NHS vaccine called Men B is now on offer to all freshers students.
Many universities recommend planning ahead in case you feel ill and need some medical help at some point, especially if you're living away from home.
A typical to-do list should include:
Registering with a local GP
Finding your nearest chemist
Registering with an NHS dentist
Finding out where the closest A&E is
You might also want to check out what your uni has to offer in terms of mental health support. Some pair up students for peer support and run dedicated 24-hour phone lines.
Websites like Student Minds, external have lots of useful advice and information.
And if you're not feeling like yourself, Young suggests a regular call home, to family or a best friend.
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