When you’re in college your mother is no longer around to wake you up in the morning and to keep you from sleeping too much.  You seem to sleep all day but still feel tired all the time.  Then there are parties, programs, early classes, internships, labs, and school work to be done.  All of these things may interfere with your sleep and leave you very tired.  Every student has different schedules so I can’t tell you the miracle sleeping schedule that will leave you feeling well rested all the time.  However I can offer some tips and tell you ways to improve your sleeping habits.

Start off by paying attention to your body and how it feels during the day.  Are you more energetic in the morning, afternoon, or night?  When do you usually do homework?  Are all of your classes in the morning or the afternoon?  Try to work your sleeping time around the time you are most productive.  One example would be if all your classes are in the morning after class, take a quick 20 minute nap and then do your homework for the day.  Then when night time comes you will sleep more soundly.  A mistake most college students make is sleeping all day.  You’d be surprised how much energy you’d get from a twenty minute power nap.

Have you ever relaxed on your bed while you did your homework? Well, you shouldn’t; that’s why we have desks!  When you work in bed it can make it hard to go to sleep when it’s actually time to go to bed.  Also try to sleep at the same time every day.  While this may be pretty much impossible in college, try your best.  Falling asleep at similar times during the day can increase the quality of your sleep.  Avoid all-nighters at all costs!  Cramming for that test all night will only leave you feeling half-dead in the morning; and it won’t help you do any better on that test.  Going to that party the night before that 9:00 AM class is probably not a good idea either.  When it comes to those weekend nights where you don’t go home until the sun is coming up, make sure you give yourself plenty recovery time.  Sleep in, but do not sleep all day!  It will completely throw off your internal clock and you will have trouble sleeping during the weekday.

Finally, when it’s time to go to sleep, create an atmosphere for sleep.  Put your phone on silent and turn the TV off.  While music helps some people fall asleep, that Meek Mill mixtape that you love to listen to in the car is probably not a good idea.  Music should be very soft and gentle; jazz and classical music are good suggestions.  It may not be what you usually listen to but you want something that will relax your mind and not wake you up in the middle of the night.  Close your eyes and let your mind and body drift off!

Credits: http://www.rncentral.com/nursing-library/careplans/101_health_and_wellness_tips_for_college_students

Picture Source: http://blog.eventbrite.com/wp-content/uploads/sleep-on-books-1.10.12.jpg

Editor of Health and Beauty, Brandi Giles