College is the easiest excuse to not sleep— or to stay up all night. Maybe Netflix is part of that equation, as well. Sleep is so important in college and at any other time in your life.
On average, most college students get 6-6.9 hours of sleep per night. New research on college students and sleep indicates that insufficient sleep can and will impact our health, our mood, our GPA, and our safety.
Most adults need on average between 6-10 hours of sleep each night. College students should be aiming between 7-8 hours per night.
Photo Courtesy of PixBay/C-Scott, Creative Commons
Over the last year, I found myself staying up later and later for things that not only didn’t matter but were seriously impacting my quality of sleep. I realized after being sick and stressed out all the time, I had to change my sleep pattern.
Here are some of the key elements to how I started getting better sleep:
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I established my own sleep routine that has helped me dramatically. It’s easier to stay in a routine once you’re in one and you’re more motivated to sick with it.
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I have a bedtime. Yes, you read that correctly. I have a bedtime. I go to bed at a normal hour of the night. I have a bedtime routine. I take a shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, and read a book before bed.
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I turned off all electronics one hour before bed. Electronics reduce the amount of melatonin in our system and keep us up later. I give myself some transition time between electronics and sleep.
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I avoid all caffeine after one or two in the afternoon. As much as I LOVE coffee, I know it’s important to stop.
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I invested in blackout curtains from Target. If you can, it’s totally worth the purchase. It helps keep those annoying parking lot lights out of your bedroom and makes the room much darker.
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I wash my sheets and blankets weekly. Not only is it such a nice feeling to crawl into clean sheets, the clean smell is super relaxing.
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I use essential oils. It’s an investment for sure, but for me, it’s relaxing and calming. I generally diffuse lavender but I also roll lavender on the bottom of my feet, my wrists, and my neck before I go to sleep.
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I have a white noise app on my phone I put on before bed. I usually choose waves or rain to help put me to sleep. It’s comforting and it also mutes out any noise my roommates are making downstairs if I go to bed earlier. There are a ton of free apps available for this purpose!