Written by Alyshia Kelbert, ACCSA Student Development Coordinator

Work on Your Sleep Hygiene Routine

Sleep is considered one of the most important factors for student success but is often one of the most neglected areas of a student’s life. Students will sacrifice a good night’s sleep in order to work, socialize or get an assignment finished on time. People think they can function fine on limited sleep, but the truth is they cannot. Students who are sleep deprived will not think and perform tasks as well as those who got a good night’s sleep. Working on a sleep hygiene routine is important for getting the rest you need.

Sleep hygiene refers to sleep practices, habits and environmental factors that are necessary for getting quality restorative sleep. Below are some tips you can use to create your own sleep hygiene routine.

1. Create a Nightly Routine: having a routine cues your body that it’s time to sleep. So, establish a set routine that you follow every night. For example, have a hot bath, put on your pajamas, brush your teeth, and then listen to soft music and read on the couch until you start to feel sleepy and then go to bed.
2. Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment: If you want to have a good sleep, it helps to create a comfortable sleep environment.
3. Bed is Just for Sleeping: when you watch TV in bed, study for classes, or use it for a hang out area, you send your body mixed signals. Reserving your bed only for rest ensures that when you lay down at night your body knows it is time to fall asleep.
4. Use Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol Carefully: avoid caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol four to six hours before you go to sleep.
5. Try to Leave your Worries Out of the Bedroom: try scheduling a “worry time” earlier in the evening to deal with your worries. If you wake up in the middle of the night worrying, try writing down your worries and tell yourself that you will address them in the morning.
6. Exercise: The timing of exercise is important to ensure the optimal effect on your sleep schedule. The best time to engage in exercise that will improve sleep is in the afternoon. If you have to exercise at a different time be sure to always complete your exercise at least two hours before you go to sleep.
7. Be Consistent: pick a strategy and use it consistently. Try to do the same thing every night.
8. Be Patient: These strategies can take time to improve your sleep. In fact, sometimes things can get worse before they get better. Hang in there and stick with it!