4 Sleeping Hacks
Wake up! Hard to do, amirite? For us college kids, sleep ends up on the bottom of the priority list. And the irony of that of course is that without adequate sleep, it’s pretty much impossible to take care of other health habits.
“Gotta get to the grocery store.” I’m too tired.
“Gotta go work out.” I’m too tired.
“Gotta study.” I can’t focus because…I’m too tired.
See what I mean? It starts a domino effect that results in a college life disaster.
Quality sleep helps keep your energy levels high, stress levels low, immune system strong, and lowers your risk of developing health problems. So, after knowing all the great benefits of quality sleep, how does someone catch some ZZZZZZs around here?
Here are a few tips for improving sleep:
1. Set and stick to a consistent sleep schedule.
Weekends can be a tough time for college students to stick to a set sleep schedule. To start, try to create a sleep schedule during week nights and then build up to staying consistent with that sleep schedule for the whole week.
It would be ideal to aim for 8 hours of sleep every night. Setting an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to start winding down for bed is a good strategy to help keep you on top of your sleep schedule.
2. Develop a bedtime routine
A bedtime routine is engaging in the same behaviors each night before going to bed in order to tell your body it is time to sleep. A bedtime routine can look like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, meditating, washing your face, reading, or drinking sleepy time tea.
You can engage in as many or as few of these behaviors before bed as you’d like, but the key is that you keep it consistent so your body learns when it is time to settle down.
3. Avoid the late-afternoon caffeine fix
This tip is pretty obvious, yet I know so many college students who are chugging energy drinks or coffee to give them enough energy to finish a long day of classes or homework.
This is a hard habit to break, but if you focus on getting quality sleep, then you will have enough energy to carry you throughout a productive day.
One of the ways to achieve quality sleep is cutting the caffeine at a certain time. If you consume caffeine in the evening, then it will be harder to fall asleep, causing you to be tired the next day and need the caffeine once again.
It is a vicious cycle that can be difficult to change, but once you do, you will be able to experience all the benefits good sleep has to offer.
4. Keep Moving
Incorporating physical activity that you enjoy throughout your day will help you sleep better at night. Exercise will boost your energy levels for a little while, but when it is time for bed your muscles will be craving the rest they deserve.
Plus, your muscles need the rest to repair themselves and exercise helps you sleep better at night. As if you needed more reasons to be physically active…