Earphones with info material“Get Ahead” headphones distributed to students through the exam period are aimed at helping them relax and sleep.

Exam care packages to help put students to sleep

Efforts to promote wellness this exam season will introduce students to sleep hygiene and relaxation tips as well as the newly-launched My Student Support Program (MySSP).

Students will receive headphones to help them block out distracting noises and get some quality rest, starting at a launch event in the CAW Student Centre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Staff of the Student Counselling Centre, doctors and nurses from Student Health Services, Campus Police officers, and executives from the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance will hand out the care packages on the last day of classes. In addition, numerous campus partners including faculty, staff, departments, student services, and student societies are all taking part in delivering the exam relief throughout the campaign.

Ashley Vodarek, mental health and wellness co-ordinator, notes that sleep finished second only to academic performance among the top concerns expressed by UWindsor students in a Spring 2019 survey.

“The data revealed 38 per cent of students at UWindsor stress about not getting enough sleep and 72 per cent of students want more information on how to get better sleep,” she says. “Especially during exam session, it is common to sacrifice sleep in order to spend more time studying, but losing sleep actually works against you.”

She says the campaign will promote the performance and health benefits of sleep, as well as the 24/7 text or talk counselling service MySSP.

“As we all know, sometimes it’s those ruminating thoughts or concerns that are keeping us awake during the night, and now students have someone they can talk to about it anytime,” says Vodarek.

Besides today’s event, the “Get Ahead Headphones” will be available in study areas Dec. 6, 9, 13, and 16, and at a special Quiet Room Oasis in the Leddy Library from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 11.

To see the campaign information including sleep tips and the campus-wide delivery schedule, visit the website: www.uwindsor.ca/wellness/examrelief.