How to Get Enough Sleep in College
Sleep is an important part of your everyday life. When you don’t get enough sleep, it is hard to function normally. Getting enough sleep is important to feeling awake and alert during the day, maintaining your health, and doing your best work. As a college student, you may feel like you don’t have time to sleep or that getting to sleep is hard. By making sure you do get enough sleep, you are increasing how productive and healthy you are being.
Have a consistent sleep schedule.
You should plan to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. If your first class is at 8 am and you need to be up by 6:30 am to be on time, then you should plan to wake up at 6:30 every day of the week. Most adults need 8 hours of sleep every day so in this case, you should be going to bed at 10:30 pm.
Make plans for your normal awake time.
If you normally sleep from 11 pm-7 am, don’t make plans during that time. You should take classes at times that won’t force you to wake up earlier than your sleep schedule. When you go out with friends, or on dates, you should always plan to be home in time to get ready for bed and to be in bed at your regular time.
Turn off electronics an hour before bed.
The blue light from your phone and computer signals your brain that it is daytime. This prevents your body from producing hormones that help you sleep and makes falling asleep more difficult. Try reading a physical book or doing something else before bed instead.
Use the hour before bed to do a relaxing activity.
You can use this time to meditate, take a bath, write in a journal, etc. De-stressing can make falling asleep easier, and help you not only get more sleep but better sleep. Everyone needs some time in their day to relax and focus on themselves.
Wear comfortable pajamas.
Wearing comfortable, seasonal pajamas will help you get better quality of sleep. Pajamas can help you maintain the right body temperature while you sleep and keep you from waking up due to discomfort.
Use ambient noise.
A fan or a white noise machine are great options for ambient noise. Ambient noise can help you fall asleep and stay asleep. If you have noise going in your room already, then it might be harder for you to hear your roommate opening the bathroom door or stepping on that squeaky floorboard while you are sleeping.
Put up blackout curtains.
Blackout curtains will help with the light from the sun coming up before it is time to wake up or from headlights shining through your windows at the worst times. This can keep all of the light out of your room at any time of the day.
Try using these guidelines to get better sleep this semester and for the rest of college. Your grades and health will thank you!
If you're a Vintage at Tabernacle tenant and are having trouble sleeping due to noises in or outside of the apartment, don't hesitate to give management a call to see how we can help!