Introduction
As a student, sleep is one of the most important things for your mind and body. Not only does it help you stay healthy, but it also helps you learn better! Here are some tips to ensure you have quality sleep at college:
Establish a regular bedtime routine.
This includes eating dinner earlier in the day, turning off electronics by a certain time, and getting in a set amount of exercise per day. Invest in yourself by creating a regular bedtime ritual that involves winding down with calming activities like reading or meditation before going to sleep at the same time every day. It may seem like this will cause more work for you, but it’ll almost always be worth it! Almost every study has shown that people who have more set goals and routines are happier overall. You shall have to understanding what deep sleep is.
It’s Not Just What You Eat, It’s How You Eat
The most important thing to keep in mind while eating is to be aware of when your body feels satiated and stop there. In other words, you don’t have to eat everything on your plate at once or in rapid succession. A smaller amount of high-quality (and unprocessed) food will satisfy your hunger more effectively and keep you energized throughout the nighttime hours. Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water as well, which will help keep the brain functioning properly.
Keep your room cool at night, around 65 degrees is ideal
Get a comfortable mattress and pillow. If you have a hot, stuffy room try leaving your window open and turning on some fan or air conditioning.
Limit any caffeine late at night
This includes anything that could affect sleep such as if you drink coffee later in the day, drink late at night, or drink too many drinks that contain caffeine.
While some studies show that caffeine is beneficial to people who are trying to stay awake during certain parts of their day, it’s important to know that it can cause stress and irritability if not used properly. There are ways to prevent stress and anxiety from affecting you late at night, like setting a bedtime routine or finding the right pillow for your needs; however, caffeine can have the opposite effect and wreak havoc on your sleep schedule!
Avoid drinking after bedtime
Alcohol relaxes you to sleep but too much of it can make it difficult to wake up properly and wake up feeling groggy the next morning. There are tons of studies out there showing that people who drink alcohol in moderation are usually healthier overall. That being said, there’s a reason that many doctors and experts recommend not drinking alcohol within a few hours of going to sleep. Alcohol can increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety- factors that combine to make sleep more difficult. Also, if you drink in the middle of the night, your body might be more likely to wake you up at your next sleep cycle.
Do not stress about sleep
Try to sleep when your body tells you it is the best time to sleep. If you wake up feeling like it is already a day then get up and go about your day. If you stay in bed for two hours and feel like it is still dark out, then go to sleep. Sleep does not need to be perfect!
Go on a consistent weekly exercise routine
This should take at least 20 minutes per muscle group daily, this helps keep sleeping muscles relaxed and healthy. Getting enough exercise isn’t only for people who want to lose weight; it’s also important for healthy sleep schedules. Exercise has been shown to have a positive effect on all parts of your health, including better sleep at college! The health benefits include a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and many different types of cancer. It can even help people who are severely depressed.
Use pillow
Sleep with a pillow under your knees and ankles to prevent leg cramps. You can also use a knee propped-up pillow under the knee if that is more comfortable for you. How you sleep is extremely important to all parts of your health, and it can make a huge difference in how well you sleep. A pillow is one of the main components of a bed.
Invest some time and energy into finding the perfect pillow for you. There are tons of different types out there, including pillows with memory foam, memory foam-like pillows that can be heated or cooled, buckwheat pillows, etc. You want to find something that feels supportive for your head and neck when you’re sleeping with it- not too thick/thick, firm/soft, etc. If you sleep on your back, you want a thinner pillow than if you sleep on your side.
Do not sleep in too much clothing
Keep blankets on your bed to trap cool air in at night, and drape a sheet over your window if you have one to keep the cool air in.
Wear socks to bed, you do not want any fabric touching your skin when you sleep at night and make sure they are tight enough that the toes cannot extend beyond the end of the foot.
Conclusion
It might seem counterproductive to go to bed when you should be getting up for classes, but restful sleep is essential for both your physical health and mental wellbeing. And while it’s easy enough to grab a cup of coffee in the morning if you’re feeling yawny or sleepy after an all-nighter, try considering ways to improve your sleep quality each night before the inevitable exhaustion sets in.