With summer winding down, the scramble to get everything situated for fall semester is sending many of us into a frenzy while others simply wait until the last possible second. A key part of making this semester and the year more successful is having a successful sleep schedule to promote rest, knowledge retention, and energy! Here are some tips to make and get the most out of your night's rest.
1. Know your circadian rhythm
As "Science Daily" explains, "A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. In a strict sense, circadian rhythms are endogenously generated, although they can be modulated by external cues such as sunlight and temperature." So if you've been staying up late, and sleeping in early, this is how your rhythm is currently set. Adjusting to your class schedule a few weeks before classes start can be very beneficial in transitioning back into college mode. Also, if you're having a hard time getting up at, say, 7 am for your classes, try 15 minutes earlier or later. 7 am could be on a down swing of your rhythm, making it much harder for you to wake up at that time.
2. Routine, routine, routine!
I know I stressed the importance of establishing a routine in my last article, but it honestly helps so much. Allow yourself some down time or time to unwind about a half hour to an hour before you plan on falling asleep. Try to eliminate electronics (do the best you can, I'm awful about it too) and do something relaxing to ensure your brain won't be going a mile a minute while your body is exhausted.
3. Tea time
A cup of tea can do wonders for a good night's sleep. If you need help relaxing after hours of studying, and are under too much stress, a cup of chamomile tea can work wonders, whether it's trying to fall asleep, stay asleep, or just help ease your mind from racing after a long day. My favorite is Tazo Zen Tea!
4. No all-nighters
You might not have a choice at some point, but if you can help it, don't try to pull all-nighters. It throws off your circadian rhythm and can cause more trouble than it's worth. Also, it is better to study, sleep, and then review the material again as sleep helps your retention rates by processing the information from your short-term to your long-term memory while you're unconscious.
5. For a busy brain
If you've got a night when your mind is running a mile a minute, try writing out your thoughts; getting your thoughts on paper helps unclog your mind so you can relax more. If that doesn't help, enlist the help of a friend and talk it out. Any concerns or extra stresses you have can manifest themselves in disturbing your rest and this, in turn, can hurt your entire routine effecting classes, homework, and so on.
For myself, when I'm stressed it used to directly affect my sleep--I would wake up, toss and turn constantly, but now sleep is the one thing I can count on to always help breakup the busy days of studying, working, and so on. Hopefully these tips can help you with your crazy schedules and assist you in resting better, and having more energy to do better this year!
