Maintaining a Healthy Sleep Schedule 

Greetings, Bears! I am so happy to be back again writing blogs this semester. This week, I’m focusing on a topic near and dear to me—sleep. There are many important factors that go into being a successful college student, but one of the most valuable (and honestly most overlooked) things that can make or break a student’s journey to success is sleep. How much sleep you’re getting can very much change how much energy you have throughout the day, as well as how effectively you’re able to focus and retain information, which are all key factors to doing well in any college class. For today’s blog post, I’m going to share some ways that I have maintained a healthy sleep schedule. 

Go to Bed and Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day 

One of the easiest ways to change your current sleep schedule into something better and healthier for you is to ensure that you’re going to sleep at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. If you’re like me and you don’t like having a solid schedule, don’t worry! There are ways to do this without it feeling too restrictive. As long as you plan to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day, you can still plan to do things that you enjoy before or after that time. What is most important is that you’re consistent, so that your body can develop a routine. Make sure that you finish homework, studying, or other important things before your assigned bedtime. If you’re wondering how much time you should budget for sleep, that leads me to my next point! 

Get 7 to 9 Hours of Sleep Every Night 

College students, for the most part, get much less sleep than they need to. When you’re an adult, a healthy amount of sleep is between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but how much you need can vary depending on a lot of different things. It might be beneficial to experiment just a little bit at first to see what amount within that two-hour span works and feels best for you. After doing so, you can budget that amount of time within your sleep schedule. Once you establish this routine, you’ll probably notice that you feel better and more energized! 

Improve Your Quality of Sleep 

Getting enough sleep is very important, but the overall quality of the sleep you’re getting is even more so. There are many things that you might be doing that could negatively impact how you’re sleeping without you even knowing it. Some things that you can be mindful of when it comes to improving your quality of sleep are ensuring that you’re avoiding caffeine or large meals before bedtime, as well as staying off of electronics as you’re getting ready to go to sleep. It also helps to avoid naps during the day and stay active so that it’s easier for you to fall asleep at night. Like I said before, there are many things that you could be doing to improve your overall sleep quality, so if you’re wanting to know more, do some research! Tips for better sleep are not hard to come by, especially on the internet.  

Takeaways 

I hope that you enjoyed this blog post, and that you feel inspired to change up your sleeping habits if you haven’t done so already. Even though it can seem tedious, crafting and maintaining a consistent and thought-out sleep schedule will only benefit you. If you’re still wanting to know more about what you can do to make sure you’re getting enough good quality sleep, there are some great resources on campus. Magers Health and Wellness Center is hosting an upcoming Wellness Wednesday event on March 29th that is focused on sleep. Be sure to check that out if you want more information!

Keep working hard, and as always, Go Bears! 

~Hallie  

(Bio: I am a sophomore out-of-state student studying Creative Writing and Philosophy.)