Do you ever feel restless during classes? Just can’t concentrate on your lecture, or can’t focus on doing your homework? Unable to bring yourself to go to the gym? Try taking a look at your sleep schedule.
The amount of sleep you get each night greatly affects how well you do during the day. Between doing excessive amounts of homework or going out at night, it could be hard to get close to 8 hours of sleep. Trying to maintain a healthy sleep schedule is extremely important.
You want to start off by planning what time you need to wake up each morning. From there you can see what time is best for you to try and go to sleep. Try to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep, whichever is the most attainable for you. Getting less than seven hours of sleep each night can be greatly detrimental to your days. You’ll notice mental fogginess, short temper and mood changes, inability to handle stressful situations, and daytime sleepiness.
Most college students get less than seven hours of sleep. Getting seven to nine hours will make it easier to handle your day-to-day schedule. You’ll be able to wake up easier, and have the energy to go to the gym, hang out with your friends, and get all your work done. Perfecting your sleep schedule will make you genuinely happier.
Coming back for the spring semester, I fell off my sleep schedule between going out and hanging out with my friends. I would go to sleep between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m., and have to be up for class by 11:00 a.m. I thought I would be able to tackle it night after night, but I was surely wrong. I started getting overly-tired, not paying attention in my classes, and eventually starting to feel sick. I spent a whole weekend catching up on sleep and getting myself back on track.
I know, it’s hard to hop into bed and go straight to sleep. You need to give yourself time to wind down before you want to be asleep, about an hour or two. Put on your favorite TV show, read a book, or watch YouTube videos. Try not to actively be on your phone 30 minutes before bed, it’ll make falling asleep much easier.
It can be hard to get the right amount of sleep on nights you go out, and that’s okay for a couple nights a week. Just make sure you’re prepared with all your assignments and you’re not going to risk anything important. Try to stick to Fridays and Saturdays for going out, since most of us are able to sleep in during the weekend.
Take it day by day, then week by week. Eventually it’ll become a routine and second nature for you to have a set and healthy sleep schedule.