Along with money and time, sleep is something that, as busy college girls, we have trouble getting enough of. While it is the thing we tend to push aside the most, sleep is something all students should put more emphasis on. Our brain can’t function if it doesn’t get its beauty sleep. Luckily, here are some science-based, and non-science based tips that will help you get that eight hours, or at least feel like you’re getting them.
1. Be strategic and careful with your caffeine intake
Everybody reacts differently to caffeine, and your sensibility to caffeine changes depending on how often you guzzle down cups of joe. Coffee information seems to change on the daily. As of now, coffee has the thumbs up from health specialists across North America, and recent studies on coffee approve. The recommended limit for coffee intake is 400 milligrams per day, which roughly translates to four to five cups. Yipee! With that many cups, you can space them out to make sure you are getting the full effects. I have found that the “two in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one after dinner” works well for myself. You might find your cut-off time is 5 p.m., or maybe it is noon. Espresso shots have less caffeine than your average drip cup, so maybe your evening boost can be a little cappuccino. All in all, cater your intake to your needs, but don’t down liters of coffee per day. That will wreak havoc on your sleep cycle.
2. Speaking of coffee, sip on it before your power nap
This is a new tip I saw floating around the Internet, and I must say, it works! Caffeine takes twenty minutes to kick in after ingestion. If you’re in between classes and need a quick nap, sip on an espresso or cup of coffee, climb into bed, and set that alarm. You will find that the groggy feeling you might normally have after a nap will be non-existent.
3. Write before bed
Sleeping when you have 20 million things bouncing around in your head is impossible. Or if it is possible, it doesn’t make for the deepest sleep. Before you get under the covers to call it a night, write down whatever is stressing you out. Try writing down your to-do list for the next day, or maybe just a general list of things you need to get done in the coming week. Once it’s on paper, you will immediately feel relieved. This tip made it on Forbes 2015 list of “Five Things Successful People Do Before They Go To Bed”. Hey, who knows? You might write that to-do list and wake up rich.
4. Try to keep your sleep times regular
You know how babies’ routines are carefully planned? Well it would help us college kids if we did the same. Studies have shown that going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day helps you feel less tired, and improves your long-term sleep quality. Have you ever slept for twelve hours on a Saturday and still felt completely exhausted when waking up? If you get up super early all week, and they stay up until 4 a.m. on Friday and wake up at noon the next day, it might throw your body off. Try waking up at the same time for a few weeks, and see how your body adjusts. It might actually work out, and give you more time to squeeze in homework on weekends.
5. Whenever you can, and whenever you need it…SLEEP
Don’t be afraid to nap like a champ. Forcing yourself to finish the last few pages of reading before conking out for a nap is not always worth it. As college students, between our homework, clubs, work, and friends, an eight-hour night of sleep is not always realistic. That is why fitting in that snooze can be a real help, as a kind of side-kick to your nighttime sleep. Have a little hole in your schedule Wednesday evening? Have a quick power nap. Saturday is looking pretty wide open? Get up pretty early, but save yourself time for a nap at around 1 p.m. To help you get the best out of that nap, close your blinds, drink some herbal tea, and maybe get yourself some earplugs if necessary.