Sleep and I didn’t have the best relationship my freshman year.
I left the library when it closed at 2 am on weeknights and had a regular bedtime of 4 am. But I can assure you that I didn’t get much studying done at the library. It became a meeting place where I knew at least one of my friends would be almost at all times. You know those floors of libraries that’s abnormally loud to be a library? That’s where I spent most of my time. I didn’t understand that I needed a space that was specifically for studying, specifically for sleeping, etc. I napped many days at the library. Back then there were couches that I lied down on and would throw a sweater over my face so no one could identify who the person sleeping at the library was. I did a little bit of everything there, but nothing well. Naturally, I have always been a night owl; however, due to my new sleeping schedule I got fewer than 7 hours a night, napped everyday and pulled several all nighters cramming for exams. If you're struggling with having a healthy sleep schedule and are barely making it through your day, here are 7 tips that I wish I applied my freshman year.
1) Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily
-A sleep schedule will help you sleep through the night. Your body's circadian rhythm basically becomes a clock and knows time better than you.
2) Exercise regularly
-Going to the gym is hard and we don’t even need to talk about freshman 15. But practice some self-discipline and go for your health. Getting there is half the battle.
3) Don’t nap. Excessively.
-This one would have been nearly impossible for me. Like I mentioned earlier I napped pretty regularly. And a short 20 minute power nap has been proven to increase productivity, but if I went back to the dorm to nap I would essentially sleep and not nap. Long naps throw off your schedule and may cause you to sleep even later at night.
4) Sleeping in really late on the weekends won’t “catch you up”
-Because you might be so sleep deprived already, one or two nights of sleeping 9+ hours won't immediately reset you to a state of not being tired. It takes regulation and consistent nights of 7+ hours to reset.
5) Don’t look at a screen right before bed
-This one is tough for me still, but there a couple things that can help block the blue light that technology emits which is known to disrupt sleep. I suggest turning on your night shift mode for your phone a couple of hours before you go to sleep (you can make this a setting). If you wear glasses, you can get lenses with a blue light filter in them which also block out the light.
6) Separate places to study, hangout and sleep
-Personally, I wish I heard this one freshman year. Help your body out and train it so that it knows what you are getting ready to do the minute you enter a building or a specific space. For example, I can't study on my bed because I know I'll fall asleep, but I can study at my desk that's in the same room as my bed because it's facing away from that temptation of sleep and I only do work on it.
7) Prioritize and don’t procrastinate
-This is an ongoing goal that I have. By not procrastinating and prioritizing what needs to get done first you'll be more efficient and consequently won't have to stay up so late. Set little, achievable goals that you need to get done everyday so that you can avoid all nighters.
I know it feels like you have too much to do to sleep. But if you keep neglecting sleep it will catch up with you. You’re doing yourself a favor by storing up the energy. It's counterintuitive because if you sleep more you have less time to study, but good sleep will make you more efficient and decrease the time you need to be up studying. I think this can apply to people of all ages, so if you’re reading this, make it a goal to get quality, regular sleep. Here's an infographic that will give you even more reasons to prioritize healthy sleeping patterns.
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” - Etty Hillesum