Sleep Habits
Who Hit the Snooze Button?
Nodding off during that lecture? Waking up two minutes after work started? Chances are your sleep habits are to blame. Both too much and too little sleep can sabotage your whole day, but there are ways to be proactive and get your sleep habits back on track.
College students need between six and ten hours of sleep a night. Each person is different; some will be fine on six, while others need close to ten to be fully awake and alert.
To find out how much sleep your body needs go to sleep without setting an alarm and notice how long before you naturally wake up. Do this for a few days to check for variations—but don’t try it on critical class days.
Believe it or not, quality of sleep is more important than quantity of sleep. Here are some tips to get the most out of your shut-eye:
* Give yourself a calm-down period before you shut your eyes. Do something that relaxes your body; for instance, get in bed and read, meditate, or listen to music.
* Avoid food, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and bright lights before bed.
* Exercise, but leave three hours of down time before you go to sleep.
* Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends if possible.
* Save your bed for sleep and sex—nothing else.
If you have trouble getting up in the morning, try things like moving your alarm clock or setting multiple alarms. If you still have trouble, go to bed earlier or push your schedule back to give yourself more time in the morning.
For those days when you’re only going on three or four hours of sleep, you can use the following tips to help stay awake:
* Eat a balanced breakfast
* Drink lots of water throughout the day
* Avoid high-sugar foods like candies
* Avoid caffeine in the afternoon; it stays in your system for about 8 hours!
* Keep mentally and physically active; vary your activities
* Take a half-hour power nap
