Health and Wellness Promotion—a resource on campus that offers many services and programs to support student health and wellness—hosted sleep week on campus from March 6 to 13, according to their website. Sleep week is intended to encourage better sleeping habits through multiple themed events and activities throughout the week. It is brought to students by Wellness Programmers.
“Prioritizing sleep is one of the most important things you can do to improve your well-being. There are numerous benefits to getting a good night’s sleep, including energy, better stress management, improvements to memory, concentration, and athletic performance… and more,” according to an email sent by Brandeis Wellness to community members on March 1.
A “special installation” was put in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) atrium to celebrate sleep week, according to the email. In the SCC, event organizers set up a dormitory bed, fully made and fitted with sheets, at the bottom of the stairs.
Other activities planned throughout the week included DIY Sleep Kits giveaway, Sleep Mask Decorating, Sleep Trivia, Deep Relaxation Zen Zone, Pajama Day and a Healthy Sleep Habits Challenge.
The Healthy Sleep Habits Challenge began on March 6. Blank ballots were made available in the Health and Wellness Promotion (HAWP) office and were electronically downloadable, as well. Students were asked to fill out the sleep habits sheet to encourage better habits, according to the ballot. On the ballot, positive sleep habits included trying a sleep tracker app, getting at least six hours of sleep one night of the week, being off of screens at least 30 minutes before bed, keeping consistent bedtime for three days and more. Students were asked to submit their ballot to the HAWP office by March 13 for the chance to win one of six prizes. The prizes included a memory foam mattress topper, pillow top mattress topper, weighted blanket, sleepbox sound and white noise machine, fleece throw blanket and a dream journal, according to the email.
Multiple events were held for sleep week, including Library Yoga on Friday, March 11. The event served as a stressbuster and was held by Kat Page, a fitness coordinator at the university, according to the event description page. Another event held was Deep Relaxation Zen Zone; this event was partnered with the Center for Spiritual Life. It was intended to make students engage more in mindful practices. Students were encouraged to “join in this special Sleep Week Zen Zone to engage in meditation that will help you experience relaxation during the day and sleep well at night,” according to the event description. All levels of meditation experience were welcomed to the event. Multiple event sessions were held at Chum’s in Usen Castle, where community members could receive sleep tips and free sleep tea, while enjoying soothing music, according to the event description.
