How’s your sleep?
For many students and staff at RRC Polytech, sleep is an area of wellness that can be challenging. Sleep plays a vital role in learning, memory, and overall brain function, making it essential for academic success. However, habits such as pulling all-nighters or regularly sacrificing sleep to meet deadlines can negatively affect concentration, mood, and academic performance.
Young adults typically need 7–9 hours of sleep per night to support healthy functioning Despite this, sleep problems are common among post-secondary students. Research suggests that about 18% of college students experience sleep difficulties consistent with insomnia. Several factors can make getting enough sleep difficult during the college years, including:
- erratic schedules,
- heavy academic and vocational workloads,
- the transition to adulthood and managing new responsibilities,
- living away from home, and social pressures such as building new friendships
- academic stress can also play a role, with sleep quality often declining as the academic year progresses (King et al., 2023).
Recognizing these barriers is an important first step in supporting healthy sleep habits and student well-being.
Tips to improve sleep
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia: teaches you strategies to help regulate your body clock, strengthen your sleep drive, and manage anxiety around sleep.
Have a consistent wake up time: Your wake up time sets your biological clock for the day, so waking up at the same time everyday can help to signal your body when it’s time to go to bed each night.
Get morning light exposure: Exposure to morning light helps to set your body clock. Try to get outside as much as possible throughout the day, especially in the mornings.
Create a calming wind-down routine: We all need time to transition between our wakeful daytime activities and sleep. Approximately two hours before bed stop physical exercise. One to two hours before bed it is advised to stop studying, schoolwork and errands. For the hour before bed, consider no screens (phones and televisions).
On March 11, 2026, Campus Well-Being hosted local sleep expert and psychiatrist, Dr. Elizabeth Hebert to learn about why sleep is so important to our academic success and learn helpful tips on how to get a better nights sleep. Missed the presentation? Watch here.
Sources:
Dr. Elizabeth Hebert – De-stress your sleep
Goodnight Mind” by Colleen Carney & Rachel Manber