Sleepless in North Carolina
Sleepless in Seattle North Carolina
Thomas Ray, PhD
Associate Executive Director
Please do not be alarmed – this is not a RomCom-themed blog post. However, the idea of being sleepless is not just for Seattle. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, more than one-third of North Carolinians report fewer than seven hours of sleep, on average, in each 24-hour period. Only about one in five NC adolescents are getting eight hours or more of sleep on a typical school night (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, 2023).
So yes, that means four out of five NC adolescents are not getting enough sleep. We are sleepless here in North Carolina.
Research indicates that many challenges youth are facing in terms of mental and physical health are related to a lack of good-quality sleep.
Mental Health
Prioritizing good sleep habits can improve mental health. For example, a 2021 meta-analysis of randomized control trials published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that improved sleep led to an improvement on composite mental health, depression, anxiety, rumination, stress, and more, with greater improvements in sleep quality leading to greater improvements in mental health.
Other studies have made connections between sleep and various mental health challenges. In other words, intentional actions to improve sleep can help improve mental health.
Brain & Heart Health
Sleep is not just good for mental health, it’s good for the brain and body too. In June of 2022, the American Heart Association added sleep to its list of “Life’s Essential 7,” renaming the list of factors that support cardiovascular health “Life’s Essential 8.”
A 2023 study associated too much sleep or too little sleep with specific neuroimaging markers in the brain that precede stroke and dementia by several years. This evidence and more shows that working on sleep health can have a positive impact on brain health and potentially reduce the risk of stroke and dementia among middle-age adults who do not have a history of stroke or dementia, as well as supporting cardiovascular health.
Physical Health
High-quality sleep is also associated with longer life. According to a 2023 study, developing and maintaining good sleep habits from adolescence onward can increase life expectancy among men by an average of 4.7 years and 2.4 years for women. According to one of the study’s authors, it’s never too early or too late to start good sleep habits. This study defined “good sleep” using five factors.
Those factors include:
- Ideal sleep duration: 7 to 8 hours per night for adults.
- Difficulty falling asleep: No more than two times per week.
- Trouble staying asleep: No more than two times per week.
- Use of medication to induce sleep: Zero times per week.
- Feeling well-rested after waking up: At least five days per week.
Improved Performance
According to a 2019 MIT study, nearly 25% of variance in academic performance could be attributed to sleep. “Better quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep correlated with better grades.” In this study, earlier bedtime, earlier wake time, and a longer duration of sleep was associated with overall better academic performance.
Even more interestingly, sleeping less during the weekdays and accommodating by oversleeping on the weekends was associated with poorer academic performance. One night of cramming before the exam did not have a relationship with the academic performance; the long-term pattern of sleep behavior mattered the most. Further, multiple studies demonstrated that sleep deprivation led to slower reaction times with negative implications for both athletic performance and workplace performance.
Great question. Sleep hygiene is really important. Here are some basics to get started. Consider implementing one or more of these strategies and make them a goal to work toward.
Make a consistent sleep schedule.
Set an early bedtime and early wake time, and keep them consistent for weekdays and weekends. Set those times to get an optimal duration of 7 to 9 hours for adults and 8 to 10 hours for adolescents.
Create an ideal sleep environment.
Minimize disturbances in the sleep space and keep the space cool, dark, and quiet. As bedtime approaches, dim any lights and close all curtains.
Maintain a bedtime routine.
Select relaxing activities to engage in before bed. These will be different for everyone, but consider activities such as meditation, prayer, listening to soft music, reading a book (not on a screen), writing in a journal, doing a puzzle, or taking a warm bath or hot shower. Include teeth-brushing as a part of this routine.
Avoid studying or working in bed and maintain a boundary that bed is only for sleeping. Avoid screens and bright lights for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime. Avoid caffeine after mid-day.
Start each day with some sunshine.
Aim to get direct sunlight early in the morning within an hour of waking.
Exercise.
Get a recommended amount of physical activity: 30 minutes per day for adults and 60 minutes per day for children and adolescents. Complete exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Eat nutritiously.
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid large meals close to bedtime.
Consider setting a goal to implement one or more of the strategies listed above this year. More strategies can be added throughout the year. By improving sleep habits and quality, you will likely also improve your mental and physical well-being as well as your daily performance.
Now, go get some sleep!
Featured Program:
How do I deal with my stress? What do I say to my friends who are pressuring me to cheat? How do I get my turn on the computer when my sibling is always hogging it?
Decisions… Decisions… is designed to help kids with these every-day situations by teaching a decision making framework for dealing with stress, conflict and peer pressure. Participants will travel into their future and recognize how decisions today will help them achieve their dreams. Making difficult decisions ahead of time will help participants plan for plenty of rest, negotiating win-win solutions and take an assertive stand against peer pressure among other empowering strategies.
Program Participants: 4th Grade, 5th Grade
Program Length: 60 minutes
References/ Citations:
Cain, S. W., Silva, E. J., Chang, A.-M., Ronda, J. M., & Duffy, J. F. (2011). One night of sleep deprivation affects reaction time, but not interference or facilitation in a Stroop task. Brain and Cognition, 76(1), 37–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2011.03.005
Scott, A. J., Webb, T. L., Martyn-St James, M., Rowse, G., & Weich, S. (2021). Improving Sleep Quality Leads to Better Mental health: a meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 60(60), 101556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101556
Peng, J., Zhang, J., Wang, B., He, Y., Lin, Q., Fang, P., & Wu, S. (2023). The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Occupational well-being in employees: the Mediating Role of Occupational self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1071232
Newsom, R., & Singh, A. (2020, December 11). Can Sleep Deprivation Affect Reaction Time? Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/sleep-deprivation-and-reaction-time
Skourti, E., Simos, P. G., Alexandros Zampetakis, Eirini Koutentaki, Ioannis Zaganas, Alexopoulou, C., Vgontzas, A. N., & Basta, M. (2023). Long-term associations between objective sleep quality and quantity and verbal memory performance in normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1265016
Backman, I. (2024, January 29). Poor Sleep May Increase Markers of Poor Brain Health, New Study Finds. Medicine.yale.edu. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/poor-sleep-may-increase-markers-of-poor-brain-health-new-study-finds/
Herb Garden Basics
Growing herbs is a rewarding way to garden. They thrive indoors and outdoors, are fairly pest free, and are low maintenance. If you don’t have an herb garden, follow this link for steps to make a simple herb garden at home with the whole family.
Tips for Your Herb Garden:
- Herbs love sunlight. Put them by your sunniest window if indoors or in your sunniest location outside (often on the South-facing side of your building). Herbs prefer 6-8 hours of sunlight and 8 inches of well-drained soil.
- Cut back or prune your herbs regularly. Cut the longest stems with scissors regularly even if you don’t plan to use them right away. This will encourage the plant to grow more. Just be sure to leave at least one third of the plant intact at all times. Basil especially loves to be cut regularly! Live clippings can be put in a glass of water or in a ziplock in the fridge for a few days before adding them to a recipe.
- Water your herbs slowly each week. It is actually possible to water too much or too fast! If you water too quickly, the water can drain straight through the soil before roots can absorb enough. Herbs like for the soil to dry out some before the next watering. If you touch the soil and it is damp, wait a day or two. Water when the soil is dry to the touch.
- Feed your herbs with an organic fish or seaweed based fertilizer if they look alive but unhappy.
Be sure to enjoy your herbs, use them in a recipe like this Kale Pesto recipe.
Additional Resource:
Bond’s Endless Greens
This month, The Poe Center’s Garden-to-Kitchen highlights Bond’s Endless Greens. Bond’s Endless Greens is a small family farm in Oxford, NC that uses hydroponic and traditional farming to produce fresh and delicious leafy greens, vegetables, microgreens, and herbs. We spoke to husband-wife duo, Felicia and Reuben Bond, to learn more about growing kale.
Felicia and Reuben started growing herbs in 2020 out of an indoor-home counter-top hydroponic garden system and were impressed with the quality and growth rate of the herbs. That excitement and ingenuity led Reuben to build a larger hydroponic system, growing more herbs and leafy greens. The couple began to share their produce with family and friends, who also raved about the quality and taste.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continued, the Bonds used this time to expand their custom-built hydroponics and newly built greenhouse, establishing Bond’s Endless Greens. In addition to kale, they sell varieties of lettuce, arugula, bok choy, and microgreens, such as broccoli, arugula, mustard greens, and radish.
Growing Kale
The Bonds use hydroponics to grow their favorite variety of kale, Red Russian kale. This variety of kale has purplish-red veins with flat, ragged leaves. Felicia and Reuben chose Red Russian because it is more tender and less bitter than other varieties of kale, such as Blue Dinosaur. Their customers love this variety, use it in salads, and even eat it fresh. The couple also notes that growing kale using the hydroponic technique produces consistently larger kale than traditional farming.
Harvesting and Selecting Kale
At Bond’s Endless Greens, they use the “haircut method” to harvest kale. This includes cutting right before the new growth is coming in. Just gather a bunch of leaves and cut straight across. This method is super easy and low maintenance for the kale. Reuben mentions not to worry about cutting too much because it grows back very quickly.
Favorite Kale Recipes
The Bonds love to add kale to a traditional southern dish: collard greens. Felicia mixes kale with collards and turnip greens, then cooks it down until the greens are tender. Their family also loves making kale chips.
Give it a try. Break up kale into small pieces and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake in the oven at 275°F until crunchy.
Availability of Greens
The Bonds anticipate reopening in Spring 2023 and will be at several Raleigh-Durham farmer markets. Contact Felicia and Reuben on their website, www.bondsendlessgreens.com/, or by email, [email protected] for more information on when their greens will be available!
Finding Balance: Supporting Young Adults During the Holiday Season
Finding Balance: Supporting Young Adults During the Holiday Season
Jessica Fowler, CADC, CPS
MindWELL Associate Director
The holiday season is often a time of joy and celebration, but it can also present challenges for young adults returning home from school or work. Navigating family dynamics, social pressures, and expectations can have an impact on their mental wellness.
SAMHSA’s 8 Dimensions of Wellness provides a holistic framework to support their well-being during this festive time—and it can be beneficial year-round, too.
Emotional Wellness
When young adults return home, they may experience mixed feelings of both excitement and anxiety. Creating an environment where they feel comfortable expressing their emotions is important. Encourage creative outlets such as art, music, or journaling to help them process their feelings. It is important not to be too pushy – instead, encourage them to share and have open conversations about feelings.
Social Wellness
Building and maintaining healthy relationships is important throughout life. During the holiday, plan family activities that can help strengthen bonds such as outings together or board game nights. Encourage young adults to stay in touch with friends, even if they’re not local. Being away from friends, peer groups, or communities may cause young people to experience loneliness, so remind them to connect through social media, phone calls, or text messages. Give them opportunities to spend time with local friends and family but allow them to also set personal boundaries: let them know they are not obligated to attend every gathering while home. Allow them time to rest and reset.
Occupational Wellness
The holidays can also bring increased career-related stress for young adults, especially those who are searching for work or adjusting to a new role. Encourage them to set aside time for job-related tasks and activities while leaving room for self-care and relaxation. Open conversations about feelings around work or job hunting can also provide support and guidance, which decreases stress and anxiety.
Intellectual Wellness
Participating in activities that work the brain is important. Connect and work the brain by organizing family activities such as trivia nights, puzzles, crossword tournaments, book chats, or movie marathons. Exploring new interests or hobbies with our young adults can help foster lifelong learning, create cherished memories, and even establish new traditions.
Spiritual Wellness
The holiday season can also be a time to reflect on personal beliefs and values. Invite young adults to participate in family traditions that resonate with them, but leave room for their own personal development and journey. This balance can maintain connections between family and traditions while allowing for individual growth. Find opportunities to volunteer during the holiday season – this helps young people develop a stronger sense of purpose and strengthen spiritual wellness. Volunteering is also a way for families to spend time together while giving back to their community.
Physical Wellness
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be challenging for some during the holiday season. Support young adults by encouraging them to exercise regularly and make healthy, nutritious meal choices. Try sharing resources like My Plate for Young Adults, which shares user-friendly, affordable recipes, cooking basics, and healthy tips geared towards young adults. Remember to maintain balance – every meal won’t be perfectly nutritious but focus on making healthier choices and enjoying time gathering and celebrating. Try going on family walks, doing outdoor activities, or cooking meals and desserts together. This can have a positive impact on mood and energy levels for the whole family.
Environmental Wellness
Creating a calming home environment is important for mental wellness, especially during a season full of hustle and bustle. Keeping shared spaces organized and peaceful can make a big impact on everyone, including young people. Create a sense of belonging and support well-being by involving young adults in home projects such as decorating, baking, or raking leaves. Encourage them to spend time outdoors by enjoying a winter walk or engaging in other outdoor activities. This gives them a chance to soak up some vitamin D, strengthen their relationship to nature, and reduce stress.
Financial Wellness
The holidays can often lead to financial stress for some, especially young adults starting out their independent lives. Try having a conversation about budgeting. This can help ease this stress that some young people may experience during holiday times. Encourage thoughtful and sentimental gift-giving that focuses on experiences rather than material items that can come with a big price tag. Remind them that sentimental gifting fosters meaningful connections, makes cherished memories, and reduces the pressure of holiday spending.
By incorporating the 8 Dimensions of Wellness into your family routine during the holidays, caregivers can create an atmosphere that prioritizes young adults’ mental wellness. Imagine it as a festive recipe for connection: blend open conversations, engaging family activities, relaxing downtime, and a sprinkle of respect for everyone’s unique needs. This approach not only puts mental wellness at the forefront but also creates a joyful opportunity to celebrate the season together!
Featured Program: Dimensions of Wellness
As adults, we spend a lot of time caring for our children or others, and sometimes we forget our own self-care. Dimensions of Wellness will empower participants to explore the positives and negatives of stress and the effects ongoing stress can have on their mental, physical, and emotional health.
Participants will have an opportunity to explore self-care strategies and develop a plan to develop a wellness routine. During the discussion, we will also cover how stress affects youth, including tips on increasing mental wellness, promoting coping strategies, and building resilience.
Program Participants: Adults
Program Length: 90 minutes
References/ Citations:
Ahriza. (2021, December 12). notMYkid. NotMYkid® – Educate Inspire Grow. https://notmykid.org/holiday-self-care-and-the-eight-dimensions-of-wellness/
Highlighting the 8 Dimensions of Wellness. (2022, August 1). Compass Health. https://www.compasshealth.org/highlighting-the-8-dimensions-of-wellness/
SAMHSA. (2016). CREATING A HEALTHIER LIFE A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO WELLNESS. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma16-4958.pdf
SAMHSA. “The Eight Dimensions of Wellness.” Www.youtube.com, 1 July 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDzQdRvLAfM.
If you know a young person that is experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis remind them there is hope and support out there. 988 is a free confidential line that people can call or text when they need someone to listen.
Si un joven está pasando por una crisis, recuérdale que hay esperanza. El 988 está aquí para ayudar hoy y siempre.
The Great American Vapeout 2024: A Youth Perspective
The Great American Smoke Vapeout 2024: A Youth Perspective
Tamika M. Gilchrist, MPH
Substance Use Prevention Assistant Director
Poe Center for Health Education
Kieran Patel, 12th Grade Student
Poe Center Youth Empowerment Leader
Poe Center for Health Education
Did you know that tobacco use among middle and high school students in North Carolina is alarming? Among current tobacco users in North Carolina, 57,300 are high school students and 18,600 are middle school students. E-cigarettes continue to be the #1 tobacco product used by youth and the use of nicotine pouches is on the rise.
Every year, on the third Thursday of November, the American Cancer Society hosts the Great American Smokeout to support those who want to quit. According to the 2022 North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey (2022 NC YTS), an estimated 43,800 high school students and 12,500 middle school students in NC are current e-cigarette users. These numbers are startling and highlight a growing dependency on tobacco among youth.
Electronic nicotine delivery devices, also known as e-cigarettes, e-cigs, vapes, and many other names, have grown in popularity over the last decade. There are now over 460 different types of e-cigarette brands, ranging from medium-sized and large rechargeable devices to disposable ones. All of these devices deliver the same harmful and addictive chemical: nicotine. Nicotine, found in tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes, is highly addictive, which makes quitting difficult.
There are many misconceptions about vaping. For example, some believe that the “vapor” produced by e-cigarettes is simply water vapor. In reality, e-cigarettes produce a heated aerosol cloud that contains nicotine, flavorings, and ultra-fine particles that are inhaled into the lungs.
So, What Are Youth Saying About Vaping?
We sat down with Kieran Patel, a high school senior and Poe Center Youth Empowerment Leader, to hear what she had to say about vaping and its impact on her peers.
Question: How big of a problem is vaping among teens?
Answer: In my opinion, vaping is a big problem because of the impact it has on a teenager’s brain impacting their ability to learn. From the moment anyone, especially youth, tries a vape, their body is addicted. The addiction factor makes it difficult to quit and can affect someone for the rest of their life without the proper help and support.
Q: Why do you think vaping is so popular, especially among your age group?
A: I have seen vaping become popular due to the fruity flavors like cotton candy and enticing colors that make it seem like it is fun and harmless. I also think that peer pressure plays a factor in the popularity of vaping. Once someone is exposed to nicotine, their brain starts craving it, which makes it even more addictive.
Q: Can you talk about your efforts to combat vaping?
A: I joined the Poe Center’s Youth Empowerment team to find a way to make a difference among my peers. I’m passionate about reducing vaping because it provides no benefits to society and harms individual health.
Q: What are your concerns about the long-term effects of vaping on your peers?
A: My biggest concern is the long-term damage to both the lungs and the brain. Vaping damages the airways, which can lead to chronic lung conditions. There are also cardiovascular risks, such as increased blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. In addition to the physical health issues, vaping can contribute to anxiety and depression because of the impact nicotine has on brain development.
Initiative to Combat Vaping: Escape the Vape Campaign
Escape the Vape is a youth-led campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of vaping and to provide cessation resources to those who are already vaping. The campaign includes a week of activities, information, and initiatives aimed at helping students be vape-free.
A Wake County Poe Youth Empowerment leader first learned about the campaign at a national conference with youth empowerment leaders from all around the country. Eager to replicate the initiative, the youth leader pitched the idea to their high school administrators. After receiving approval, students piloted the campaign in two Wake County schools. The results were encouraging with over 100 direct clicks to cessation resources, increased knowledge about vaping and its dangers, and signatures from their peers pledging to be vape-free.
Thinking about quitting nicotine?
Finding a path to quitting can be challenging, but there are many resources available to help ease the process. If you’re asking, “Can I really quit vaping?” or, “Will my health improve if I quit?” The answer is yes: quitting nicotine use can lead to significant health improvements. Over time, you’ll notice better lung function, improved blood circulation, healthier heart rate, increased energy, and much more.
Tips to help you quit vaping, smoking, or using nicotine pouches:
-
- Pick a “Quit Day”
Mark it on your calendar and make it official! Tell your friends and family so they can support you through the process. - Remove Triggers
Get rid of anything that makes you want to vape, such as vapes, vape accessories, cigarettes, lighters, and e-juice. Clean out your space and make it a trigger-free zone. - Find Healthier Alternatives
When the urge to vape hits, distract yourself with something healthy. Go for a walk, drink water, or get active. Avoid situations where you’re tempted, like hanging out where you know people are smoking or vaping. - Stock Up on Oral Substitutes
Keep chewable things such as gum, carrot sticks, hard candy, cinnamon sticks, or even straws on hand. These can help with cravings and keep your mouth busy. - Change Up Your Routine
If you always vape at certain times or places, switch up your general routine. Take a different route to school or work, or swap coffee for tea. Breaking any routine helps break habits such as vaping. - Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Drinking water is important. It can help with cravings and ease nicotine withdrawal. Plus, staying hydrated helps you feel better overall.
- Pick a “Quit Day”
Quitting tobacco use isn’t easy, but help is available. If you or someone you know is seeking resources to quit smoking or vaping, visit www.QuitLineNC.com or call 1-800-Quit-Now.
Additional resources include Live Vape Free, a North Carolina program offering 24/7 text support, engaging lessons about vaping, and powerful resources.
To get started, text VAPEFREENC to 88709. Additional support can also be found at the Duke Smoking and Tobacco Cessation Programs and the UNC Tobacco Use Treatment Program.
Interested in learning more about Escape the Vape and other Poe Youth Empowerment Team initiatives?
Contact Tamika Gilchrist at [email protected].
Featured Program: Vaping 101
Vaping 101 educates participants on the latest research about the addictive nature of nicotine and how it impacts their growing brain and body. This program covers important resources and skills to empower healthy decision making. Participants will be engaged in a group game format, videos and discussion.
Program Participants: Middle and High School Students
Program Length: 60 minutes