I’m sure we have all been in this situation before. You go to bed after a long night of studying, working, drinking, or all three and you wake up late, groggy, and you feel terrible. Now it might not even be any of the following things I mentioned. It could just be that you have bad sleeping habits or just can’t ever seem to wake up because mornings just aren’t your strong suit. Well I have some sleep tactics that will hopefully make you sleep like a baby.

1. One of the most obvious and effective ways to assure you can get a good night sleep is establishing a sleep schedule. It can be as simple as knowing if you got to wake up at 9 am and knowing that you need at least 7 hours of sleep that you must go to sleep at 2 am at latest. A sleep schedule is NOT pulling an all night and making up for it by sleeping for 14 hours the next day. Being in college though we all know it’s never that easy so here are some other methods you can try.

2. When you go to sleep lower the room temperature. It may sound bizarre, but it is scientifically proven that you get a better night sleep when it is chillier in the room. Imagine it's cold outside but you are wrapped all snug with multiple blankets on. I’ve personally had a great experience doing this every night. The only problem is you might not even want to get out of bed the next morning.

3.his may be pricey but a great way to get some good Z’s is to get a new mattress. The only thing worse than Ebola is coming home after a hard days work only to rest your sore body on a shoddy mattress. Most of us have used worn spring mattresses that have probably been brought from home or used a thousand times in the dorms. You’ll be even more excited to go home and sleep, and you’re probably doing your back justice with a new mattress. There’s a stigma that only old people with sleep problems need a new mattress. No, treat yourself and get that beauty sleep. At the very least try one of those foam mattress toppers if you’re trying to ball on a budget.

4. I know your parents, doctor, and conscience tells you that you need to drink more water. At least a gallon a day they say. While this is good for you, try not to drink too much water after 6 p.m. This goes the same with alcohol, although it goes against our college instincts. This help keeps you from going to the bathroom in the middle of the night as well. As for coffee and anything caffeinated, refrain from drinking them after 4 and you’ll notice a significantly better night of sleep.

5. Lastly, I like this one because you kill two birds with one stone. If you’re not already doing so, start exercising. Sleep great and wake up looking great in the mirror. It doesn’t even have to be rigorous, I nice jog everyday or half an hour in the weight room will do the trick. If you’ve never tried it, and think that I’m just trying to get you to buy a gym membership then ask anyone who does workout and they’ll tell you they sleep like an angel.

There are other methods and tricks that we all heard such as putting the phone away at night or meditation but it’s not always convenient. These tips are a little different and can benefit you in many ways other than better sleep as well! I know they work for me and if you can incorporate multiple tips, then do and I can promise that you’ll wake up every morning feeling more energized than a 7-year-old at Chuck E Cheese.