College students often hear that there are three important things in college: good grades, a good social life, and good sleep … but you only get to pick two. Fortunately, there is plenty of evidence that this simply isn’t true. Students who prioritize good sleep tend to experience the highest GPAs and the healthiest moods — leading to better social relationships.

If your student is struggling to sleep well or get enough sleep, we strongly encourage them to explore the resources listed below.

For more information on sleep statistics at Carleton, check out the Office of Health Promotion sleep information page.

Self-Assessment Tools

Carleton Sleep Assessment Tool: This tool was designed for use by Carleton students, but is based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). It will help students evaluate their overall sleep quality and identify reasons for insomnia – if any exist.

Chronotype survey (AutoMEQ) – How much of a morning or evening type is your student? This automated morningness/eveningness questionnaire can help determine if your student’s struggle to get to that 8 am class is related to their circadian rhythm and if they might benefit from using a light box.

Peer Leaders

The Student Wellness Advocates in the Office of Health Promotion offer a variety of resources related to sleep:

Sleep Hygiene Tips – most students can do a few things to improve their sleep environment or their sleep habits. Check out this list of tips for things you might suggest to your student.

Sleep Coaching – SWAs have been trained to serve as sleep coaches. Students can sign up for an individual appointment to explore their sleep concerns and identify goals for improving either the amount of sleep or quality of sleep they are getting.

Sleep Videos – The videos on this webpage are a combination of SWA made videos specific to Carleton and general videos on sleep for college students.

Professional Staff & Resources

Office of Health Promotion

In addition to the resources available through the SWAs (listed above in the peer leader section), the OHP has items available for check out (or to keep) to support students in improving their sleep:

  • eye masks/ear plugs
  • light boxes
  • wearable sleep trackers

Dean of Students Office

The Dean of Student’s Office can help refer your student to appropriate resources on campus. They can also help your student if their sleep has impacted their academic experience. Most students go to their Class Dean as a starting place, but students can request an appointment with the Dean of Students, too.

Student Health and Counseling (SHAC)

For many students, sleep issues are a symptom of some other underlying concern. If your student believes that their sleep problems are rooted in something else, they can set up an appointment at SHAC with either a medical provider or a counselor to discuss the issue further.