Tired of counting sheep? How to get a good night’s sleep

One of the most important and hardest things to do on a college campus is to get a good night’s sleep, which is about eight hours for the average person. Sleep is an important part of daily functioning, and not getting enough sleep can have detrimental effects on academic performance, mood, and overall physical and mental health. Unfortunately, there are many things that disrupt our sleeping patterns and make it harder to get the sleep that we need. Roommates with different schedules, loud neighbors in the residence halls, staying up to finish homework or study for an exam, and parties to name a few. Although there are number of things that make it difficult to get a full night’s sleep, there are steps that you can take to better your chances.

The first thing that you want to do is prepare your room for sleep. By organizing your room in way that your bed is not used as a couch, dining room table, or computer chair can help your body identify the bed as a place for sleeping. Another way to better your chances of getting a good night’s sleep is to get onto a sleep schedule and follow it. This means going to bed and getting up at around the same time every day, even on weekends or when you don’t have that early class. It’s also important to avoid medications that can disrupt your sleep and avoid caffeine later in the day. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to eight hours and if you drink coffee, tea, energy drinks, or pop late in the day you may have trouble sleeping. Alcohol also has a significant impact on sleep. It may make you feel sleepy, but it limits the amount of restful sleep that you get and this can zap your energy levels the next day.

Setting a sleep schedule and avoiding substances that upset your sleep schedules are important ways to get better sleep. A few other tips to keep in mind are: take some time to relax before trying to go to sleep (it is important to give your mind time to slow down and prepare for sleep). If you are in bed and having trouble sleeping, get out of bed and try to do something relaxing before trying again to get to sleep. The last tip is to avoid naps after 3 p.m. Taking a nap in the later parts of the day can make it much harder to get to sleep at night. These are just a few suggestions to help you get to sleep. If you have difficulty sleeping on a regular basis and have tried some of these tips to help you sleep it may be important to speak with a family doctor or sleep specialist.

I would like to thank Dr. Robert Hojnicki for providing information on sleep health and sleep care.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or disorder. Nor is it intended to replace a consultation with a mental health provider.