University Mental Health Day 2019
Thursday, 07 March 2019
Thursday 7 March is University Mental Health Day and is all about the power of using your voice. We all have mental health, we all have stories to share and we can all use our voices to shape the future of our mental health. The University and RUSU are running several free events and activities for staff and students on campus until Sunday 10 March. A detailed schedule of programmes is available here.
The University’s IMAGINE campaign has supported the development of a practical guide that aims to help you get a better night’s sleep:
Lifestyle and sleeping behaviours
You can easily adjust your daytime behaviours and sleeping habits to help you sleep better by reducing your caffeine consumption, limiting your use of mobile phones or tablets before bed and exercising regularly to promote good quality sleep.
Create an evening routine
An evening routine will help you unwind before going to bed. Use this as an opportunity to switch off from the digital world and put aside some time to relax. Not only will this help you clear your mind, but it can also give you a sense of control and prepare you for a better night’s sleep.
Keep a sleep diary
Try monitoring when you wake up in the night, what time and for how long. You should also track what time you wake up in the morning and how well-rested you feel. Keeping a diary will help you to identify patterns and detecting these will help you sleep better.
If you find that you still can’t improve your sleep, talk to someone who can provide you with some support or advice - a family member, friend or healthcare professional.
The IMAGINE campaign supports the development of the Sleeping Better Programme - a pioneering new therapy which has been designed by Dr Faith Orchard - to help young people with mental health problems who are also suffering from disturbed sleep. Since November, the campaign has raised more than £50,000, which has enabled Faith to buy some of the essential equipment to deliver the therapy to more young people. In the next year, Faith has ambitious plans to treat an additional 40 teenagers.