Nutrition and Sleep

You Are What You Eat

To say that college is a hostile environment to a healthy lifestyle is an understatement. Freshmen who ate their vegetables every day and faithfully attended every track meet in high school one day wake up to notice a pouch that looks suspiciously like a beer belly. The caffeine flood and sleep deprivation that accompany an all-nighter wreak havoc on your system. And the close living quarters in the dorms means that germs spread from room to room faster than you can say "mono."

The Freshman 15

That's 15... as in pounds!

You think it could never happen to you. But the grim reality is this: College can indeed expand more than your mind. Remember, just because, generally speaking, the food's bad in college doesn't mean you won't eat it. In fact, you'll probably eat a lot of it. And when you don't fill up on dining hall food, you might overcompensate later with pizza, cookies, or a bag of potato chips from the 24-hour convenience store. To top it all off, more and more schools are encouraging fast food chains and cash operations like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut to set up shop on campus.

Survival Tips

Have breakfast

You might think you value sleep more than food, but getting up an extra fifteen minutes earlier so you can grab a bagel can make you more alert for your morning classes.

Be creative

When faced with "tuna surprise" in the dining hall, be creative. Not eating at meals will only leave you craving junk food later. Instead, make a huge salad, eat cereal (yes, for dinner), or go to the sandwich bar. Anything's better than leaving the dining hall hungry.

Make sensible substitutions

Replace high-fat, empty-calorie toppings or snacks with healthier versions, such as yogurt instead of sour cream atop your baked potato. These small substitutions can make a big difference in your empty-calorie intake and add nutrients to your diet.

Watch caffeine and alcohol

And we don't mean watch it go down your throat. Moderation is the key to anything. Instead, drink lots of water.

Get exercise

No, dragging yourself out of bed is not considered a workout... collectively, college students tend to be an exercise-conscious group, but it's easy to let workouts go by the wayside when life gets busy. Even if you don't spend your afternoons sweatin' in the gym, you can find plenty of active things to do on your campus. We recommend checking out intramurals, hijack a friend to go to the gym with you, and walk as often as possible.

Happy and Healthy

This all sounds very basic and you may think that we're treating you like an idiot. However, facts are facts. Many college freshman come home on winter break as significantly larger people. A little exercise and the right food goes a long way. Stay on top of it!

Sleep Deprivation

The morning after an "all-nighter" is rough. This is true whether you stayed up all night studying for a midterm or you just couldn't stop watching that Road Rules marathon. What does sleep deprivation do to you mentally and physically, and how can you maintain healthy sleep habits while in college?

Putting Your Worst Self Forward

When you stay up for more than 24 hours, you become fatigued, your concentration wanes, and you become less able to perform simple tasks, much less conjugate verbs in French. If you stay up for more than 60 hours in a row, you may experience headaches, blurred vision, or mood swings.

A good night's sleep varies from person to person and averages about 7.5 hours. Get too much or too little sleep and you'll feel irritable and groggy, so you'll have to experiment to find out how much sleep leaves you feeling refreshed and alert. To keep from dozing in your ten-person seminar, keep the following in mind:

1. Don't exercise right before going to bed; exerting yourself can actually keep you awake rather than put you to sleep. Exercising in the morning may help you sleep better at night, though.

2. Don't drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages before going to bed.

3. If you've been drinking, wait until you sober up before you go to bed. Alcohol disturbs the sleep stages, and while you may go out like a light, you'll wake up the next morning hung over.

4. Take naps, limited to an hour or so in the early to mid afternoon.

You Are Getting Sleepy...

The reality of college life is that you'll occasionally be sleep deprived. Fortunately, even after long periods of staying awake, your body will recover with just one good night of sleep. Just don't make all-nighters a habit. They'll throw off your internal clock and leave you feeling tired and irritable.

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	Nutrition and Sleep You Are What You Eat To say that college is a hostile environment to a healthy lifestyle is an understatement. Freshmen who ate their vegetables every day and faithfully attended every track meet in high school one day wake up to notice a pouch that looks suspiciously like a beer belly. The caffeine flood and sleep deprivation that accompany an all-nighter wreak havoc on your system. And the close living quarters in the dorms means that germs spread from room to room faster than you can say "mono." The Freshman 15 That's 15... as in pounds! You think it could never happen to you. But the grim reality is this: College can indeed expand more than your mind. Remember, just because, generally speaking, the food's bad in college doesn't mean you won't eat it. In fact, you'll probably eat a lot of it. And when you don't fill up on dining hall food, you might overcompensate later with pizza, cookies, or a bag of potato chips from the 24-hour convenience store. To top it all off, more and more schools are encouraging fast food chains and cash operations like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut to set up shop on campus. Survival Tips Have breakfast You might think you value sleep more than food, but getting up an extra fifteen minutes earlier so you can grab a bagel can make you more alert for your morning classes. Be creative When faced with "tuna surprise" in the dining hall, be creative. Not eating at meals will only leave you craving junk food later. Instead, make a huge salad, eat cereal (yes, for dinner), or go to the sandwich bar. Anything's better than leaving the dining hall hungry. Make sensible substitutions Replace high-fat, empty-calorie toppings or snacks with healthier versions, such as yogurt instead of sour cream atop your baked potato. These small substitutions can make a big difference in your empty-calorie intake and add nutrients to your diet. Watch caffeine and alcohol And we don't mean watch it go down your throat. Moderation is the key to anything. Instead, drink lots of water. Get exercise No, dragging yourself out of bed is not considered a workout... collectively, college students tend to be an exercise-conscious group, but it's easy to let workouts go by the wayside when life gets busy. Even if you don't spend your afternoons sweatin' in the gym, you can find plenty of active things to do on your campus. We recommend checking out intramurals, hijack a friend to go to the gym with you, and walk as often as possible. Happy and Healthy This all sounds very basic and you may think that we're treating you like an idiot. However, facts are facts. Many college freshman come home on winter break as significantly larger people. A little exercise and the right food goes a long way. Stay on top of it! Sleep Deprivation The morning after an "all-nighter" is rough. This is true whether you stayed up all night studying for a midterm or you just couldn't stop watching that Road Rules marathon. What does sleep deprivation do to you mentally and physically, and how can you maintain healthy sleep habits while in college? Putting Your Worst Self Forward When you stay up for more than 24 hours, you become fatigued, your concentration wanes, and you become less able to perform simple tasks, much less conjugate verbs in French. If you stay up for more than 60 hours in a row, you may experience headaches, blurred vision, or mood swings. A good night's sleep varies from person to person and averages about 7.5 hours. Get too much or too little sleep and you'll feel irritable and groggy, so you'll have to experiment to find out how much sleep leaves you feeling refreshed and alert. To keep from dozing in your ten-person seminar, keep the following in mind: 1. Don't exercise right before going to bed; exerting yourself can actually keep you awake rather than put you to sleep. Exercising in the morning may help you sleep better at night, though. 2. Don't drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages before going to bed. 3. If you've been drinking, wait until you sober up before you go to bed. Alcohol disturbs the sleep stages, and while you may go out like a light, you'll wake up the next morning hung over. 4. Take naps, limited to an hour or so in the early to mid afternoon. You Are Getting Sleepy... The reality of college life is that you'll occasionally be sleep deprived. Fortunately, even after long periods of staying awake, your body will recover with just one good night of sleep. Just don't make all-nighters a habit. They'll throw off your internal clock and leave you feeling tired and irritable.	COMMUNITY THE BUZZ Get tools and tips for the college admissions process! Welcome Classes of 2009—and 2010 Special resources to get the Classes of '09 and '10 started in the admissions process. Insights from a Former Ivy League Admissions Officer Parents, PTA/PTO Groups, Educators/Counselors —Learn about Kaplan's in-school test prep program.