Believe it or not, your sleeping habits do affect your daily life. College is all about stress management; taking exams, working on campus, managing relationships, and juggling a social life. Sometimes it can be hard to make time for sleep in the hustle and bustle of college life. The following list contains 5 ways to improve your sleeping habits while balancing the obstacles that college throws your way.
Avoid NapsWho doesn’t enjoy snuggling into your comfortable bed between that 12pm and 2pm class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? Sounds like a great idea at first but your body may hate you for it later. The truth is that napping can keep you awake at night if you nap for more than 20 minutes at a time. So think twice before your next afternoon snooze session.
All-nighters are a big DON’T.We’ve all pulled an all-nighter before to write an essay we’ve been putting off for weeks. But depriving yourself of sleep should never be the answer! It most certainly will prove to be a big mistake the morning after. The typical all-nighter goes as follows: you hype yourself up with high-sugar energy drinks that are high in caffeine, you plant yourself at a computer, and you GO. You may write the paper and you may study the material but it’s proven that your brain is not retaining the information while you’re depriving yourself of sleep.
Don’t Make Your Bed TOO ComfyDon’t attempt to study in bed or watch TV there before going to bed. Distractions can keep you up far longer than you intended! We all love our bed, but try not to get in it until you actually intend on sleeping. This will help you fall asleep faster and put down those distractions earlier.
Avoid late night snackingEveryone has fallen victim to that 1am slice of cheesecake when you just can’t sleep. This boost of sugar will keep you awake longer and the carbs from the cheesecake will sit in your stomach all night while you sleep. GROSS. This is bad because it won’t digest properly and can cause unnecessary weight gain.
When all else fails …count sheep!Actually counting sheep isn’t always the most appealing way to get yourself to fall asleep, but trying to relax definitely is! When you’re up late tossing and turning, try meditating or turn on a classical music Pandora station; it may sound far-fetched but it works. When you are in complete darkness with soothing sounds all around you, your mind is able to relax and your body will follow.
As college students, we find ourselves constantly doing anything to stay awake. It’s a nice change of pace to actually make time to sleep; make time to really relax and unwind and be purposeful about it! Choose a healthy sleep pattern over an all-nighter and do whatever you can to get at a healthy night’s sleep every night. You deserve it and it will pay off tomorrow.