College Residential Sleep Environment

College students regularly report increased sleep disturbances as well as concomitant reductions in performance (e.g., academic grades) upon entering college. Sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleep practices that are commonly used as first interventions in sleep disturbances. One widely used practice of this sort involves arranging the sleep environment to minimize disturbances from excessive noise and light at bedtime. Communal sleep situations such as those in college residence halls do not easily support this intervention. Following several focus groups, a questionnaire was designed to gather self-reported information on sleep disturbances in a college population. The present study used The Young Adult Sleep Environment Inventory (YASEI) and sleep logs to investigate the sleep environment of college students living in residential halls. A summary of responses indicated that noise and light are significant sleep disturbances in these environments. Recommendations are presented related to these findings.

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Acute and Cumulative Effects of Vinyasa Yoga on Affect and Stress among College Students Participating in an Eight-week Yoga Program: A Pilot Study

International Journal of Yoga Therapy ◽

10.17761/ijyt.24.1.l8466h29060x13vq ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 63-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ronnesia Gaskins ◽

Ernestine Jennings ◽

Herpreet Thind ◽

Bruce Becker ◽

Beth Bock

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Young Adult ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Mental Practice ◽

Future Research ◽

Eating Disordered ◽

Before And After ◽

College Population

Background. College students are vulnerable to a critical period in developmental maturation, facing rigorous academic work and learning how to function independently. Western aerobic exercise (WAE), such as running and bicycling, has been shown to improve mood and relieve stress. However, college students often have low levels of physical activity. Yoga is an ancient physical and mental practice that may affect mood and stress. However, rigorous studies examining the psychological effects of yoga are rare in peerreviewed Western journals. The aim of this research was to establish preliminary evidence for the acute effects of Vinyasa yoga on affect and stress in young-adult college students. Methods. Twenty healthy college students age 18 years and older were recruited to participate in this pilot study. Participants attended a Vinyasa yoga class at a local studio twice weekly for 8 weeks. Affect and stress were assessed before and after each yoga session. Measures included the Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS) and the Cohen Perceived Stress scale. Results. Positive affect scores increased significantly (p < 0.05) for 14 of the 16 yoga sessions (mean increase = 23.2%). Negative affect decreased significantly from pre- to postyoga (p < 0.05) for 15 of the 16 sessions (mean decrease = 22%). Repeated measures ANOVAs examining pre-post composite scores across all 8 weeks showed significant changes in PANAS, but not stress scores. Conclusions. Findings suggest that yoga practice is associated with acute improvements in affect in a young-adult college population. Future research is needed to examine the extent to which different types of yoga address the needs of different college sub-populations (e.g., eating disordered, overweight/obese, sedentary, and smokers).

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"Catching" behaviors from our neighbors: Spatial clustering of health behaviors in college residence halls

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e512142015-684 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Helen C. Harton ◽

Peng Zhang ◽

Nicholas Terpstra-Schwab ◽

Brooke Ammerman

Keyword(s):

Health Behaviors ◽

Spatial Clustering ◽

Residence Halls ◽

College Residence

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Cultural Evolution: Interpersonal Influence, Issue Importance, and the Development of Shared Attitudes in College Residence Halls

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e647742007-001 ◽

2007 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jerry Cullum

Keyword(s):

Cultural Evolution ◽

Residence Halls ◽

Interpersonal Influence ◽

College Residence ◽

Issue Importance

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The Prevalence of Sleep Disturbances Among Medical College Students of Jouf University and its Effect on Academic Achievement

International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries ◽

10.24911/ijmdc.51-1602942617 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Rehab Mohamed ◽

Manahel Alotaibi ◽

Nouf Almutairi

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Academic Achievement ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Medical College

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Hallucinogen Use in College Students: Current Trends and Consequences of Use

Current Psychopharmacologye ◽

10.2174/2211556009666200311140404 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 115-127

Author(s):

Lena S. Jia ◽

Jessica A. Gold

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Drug Class ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Current Trends ◽

College Population ◽

Therapy Studies ◽

Recreational Use ◽

Perception Disorder ◽

Review Current

Hallucinogens are a drug class that is growing in popularity with college students. Recent experimental trends, such as microdosing, have helped promote the use of hallucinogens on campus, and students may be tempted to use these substances due to their beliefs about the drugs’ positive effects on mood. Although hallucinogens are not currently an established form of medical therapy, studies have shown that they have significant benefits as adjunctive treatments for psychological disorders. However, the recreational use of these drugs in college students often occurs in uncontrolled doses or with drug mixing, which is often dangerous. Furthermore, students with mental health disorders may have their symptoms masked by hallucinogenic drug use, which could delay treatment and have serious consequences. Long-term use of these drugs may also result in tolerance or hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. This article attempts to review current information regarding hallucinogen use and how it applies to the college population.

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Assessing the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nontraditional Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being

Adult Education Quarterly ◽

10.1177/07417136211027508 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 074171362110275

Author(s):

Stephanie J. Babb ◽

Katrina A. Rufino ◽

Ruth M. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Nontraditional Students ◽

Life Events ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Well Being ◽

Nontraditional Student ◽

Life Stressors ◽

Health And Well Being

The current study sought to measure how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health and well-being of college students, particularly nontraditional students. Participants ( n = 321) completed a series of surveys assessing their level of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, insomnia, and well-being. Participants also indicated their nontraditional student characteristics, level of resilience, and additional life stressors due to the pandemic. Statistical analyses found that participants reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and insomnia, with corresponding lower levels of well-being across all students, compared with prepandemic levels. Results showed that while nontraditional students indicated an increased number of life stressors during the pandemic compared with their traditional peers, nontraditional students also demonstrated higher levels of resilience. Nontraditional students appear to be more successful at managing stressful life events due to the increased resilience that comes with age and experience, which can better prepare them to persevere and overcome challenges.

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