One of the most important healthy lifestyle tips for students is getting enough sleep. Not only does lack of sleep contribute to stress and anxiety, but it can also affect your overall health.
Your body needs rest to function properly, so make sure you get enough hours of sleep every night. Of course, it is natural to stay up late after a long day or night, but you should not make it a habit. Another common cause of stress for students is the fear of failure, which can make you feel anxious and stressed.
Limiting alcohol consumption
Research on alcohol consumption among university students has demonstrated the detrimental effect it can have on student health. Although a large proportion of students do not drink alcohol at all, only 3% of college students regularly consume five or more standard drinks. This includes both male and female students. However, a significant proportion of students (23%) are binge drinkers, drinking five or more drinks three to five times a month. This has a significant impact on academic and social outcomes.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting alcohol consumption to a few standard drinks a day, or no more than two drinks a day for women and one drink for men. Depending on the level of alcohol in each beverage, different guidelines may apply. For women, a standard drink is a 12-ounce beer, five ounces of wine, and one-and-a-half ounces of 80-proof spirits. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, liver disease, and obesity. Moreover, it can cause accidents and depression.
Limiting sugary drinks
Introducing a tax on sugary drinks is an easy way to curb soda and soft drinks consumption among young people. In Philadelphia, the tax reduced consumption of sugary drinks by 50% and helped fund pre-K education for 4,000 children and upgrades to parks. In Philadelphia, the tax is expected to prevent over three thousand cases of obesity and two hundred cases of diabetes. In addition, the tax helps to address health disparities in some communities.
Studies have shown that children and young people are susceptible to unfair advertising. Advertising for sports drinks and soda has grown more than sevenfold in the past decade. Kids as young as two have been targeted by these advertisements. From 2013 to 2018, spending on sports drink ads increased by 745%. Meanwhile, exposure among Latinx children increased by 10 times. In addition, black children and teens saw double the number of advertisements for sugary drinks than their white peers.
Getting enough sleep
While a late night here and there won’t have a major impact on your wellbeing, regularly skipping sleep has a negative impact on your overall health. It can be beneficial to stick to a regular sleep schedule and make high school less stressful. Experts recommend that high school students get eight to ten hours of sleep a night. Even if you’re only in college for a year or two, it is vital to get enough sleep each night to improve your concentration and performance in class.
Studies have shown that students who do not get adequate sleep are more likely to fall behind in their classes and experience poorer academic performance. These students can’t think clearly when taking an exam or completing work tasks. They may also be ashamed of their poor performance and have mental blocks that can make them feel guilty. In short, lack of sleep is detrimental to your academic performance and can lead to depression. A lack of sleep can lead to a variety of mental problems, including depression and suicidal thoughts.
