You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Sleep is key

By St. Olaf Dean of Students Greg Kneser
December 17, 2007

As we are sending your daughters and sons home to you, the first glimpse you may get of them is to find them asleep.

GregKneser07Head
Kneser
I've asked a number of students what they plan to do when they go home, and the first word I usually hear is "SLEEP!" It is not surprising to hear that following the closing days of the semester and a hectic finals week, as sleep seems to be an elusive thing on Manitou Heights.

Many chuckle, but sleep is serious business here. We have been trying to engage students in a discussion about sleep hygiene, which is the clinical term now in use to describe the health issues related to good sleep. In all candor, it is difficult to get students to make changes to their lifestyles, even though they tell us that poor sleeping habits cause them problems.

In a survey taken of St. Olaf students last spring, nearly 23 percent reported having a negative academic impact because of sleep difficulty. This did not, however, differentiate students who have no difficulty sleeping but simply don't choose to do it. Either way, the problem is evident here.

Counselors and other health-care staff are quick to point out the relationship between poor sleep hygiene and other problems, including depression and anxiety, stress, colds and flu, disordered eating, and a host of other undesirable health consequences. As I said, this is serious business, and we are working to raise it as an issue with our students.

It is something we are sharing with our Residence Life staff, as residence hall environments play a role in this, and we are using every opportunity we can to discuss it with students. It is little understood, but it may be as significant as alcohol abuse as a contributor or consequence to many of the concerns we deal with in the Student Life Division.

So as you see your child sleeping ... give some thought to the conversation you might want to have with your Ole. If you want to know more, Google the words "sleep hygiene" and follow some of the links to get tips on how to be a supportive parent or how to improve your own nighttime experiences.

My best to all, and pleasant dreams ...

Greg Kneser

Vice President and Dean of Students

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.