Sleep. Sleep is something college students are constantly chasing. We, as students, have to stay up late working on papers or studying for an exam. In pursuit of academic excellence, students forget how important sleep is to performance; sleep resets our bodies and allows our brain to decompress. Here are some tips to help you avoid sleep deprivation and to help you wake up renewed and refreshed!

1. Cut Back on the Caffeine.

Seriously, more than a cup or two of your caffeinated beverage of choice is crazy. Drinking caffeine filled drinks to stay awake is counterproductive─ truthfully, it is an inhibitor. A person is throwing off his or her chemical balance and further hurting his or her shot at overcoming sleep deprivation. After your morning coffee try swapping over to herbal tea, water, juice─ something with minimal amounts of caffeine. Waking up refreshed is so much better than chugging yet another caramel macchiato and still yawning all day.

2. Establish a Bio Clock.

This one is tricky at first (I know from experience) but really give it your all for about a week and a half. Pick a wake-up time that you are OK with and count back 7-9 hours depending on the amount of sleep you need and try your hardest to go to bed at that time every night (weekends included!). I go to bed between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m and wake up from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Have a fairly set sleeping schedule has really made a huge difference in my energy levels.

SIDE NOTE: Unless you are about to pass out from exhaustion, try to stay away from naps. I know they can be the best thing ever, but they can really harm you later by upsetting your bio clock!

3. Use Daytime Wisely.

A part of the college cliché involves the notion of co-eds staying up into the wee hours of the morning doing homework or cramming for an exam and then walking around campus like zombies. The best way to avoid this is by getting the most out of the day. When you are done with school for the day come home, take a quick break, grab a snack, then hit the homework even if you do not want to because when it is night time you want to kick back, relax, and catch a few episodes of "Scandal." You do not want to be worried about finishing this assignment or another. It is all about setting priorities!

4. Make Sleep a Priority.

This one sounds like a no-brainier, but it can be the biggest challenge! Students procrastinate homework or studying and do not start until 9 or 10 at night, then they do not get to sleep until early in the morning. One has to set a goal─ a bedtime if you will. He or she should really try to be in bed by the time he or she sets. Without enough sleep, we wander about classes, yawning away our lives waiting until the weekend when it is time to catch up on missed sleep. Sleeping is the best! Fun ways to make sleeping a priority is use this opportunity to make your bedroom the most comfortable place ever—pile your bed up cozy blankets and pillows! Use the moments before you fall asleep to decompress. Drink a cup of tea, read that book you have not had time to read, journal if that is your thing--anything to help you become more relaxed which in turns helps you fall asleep quicker and wake well rested

Remember sleep is important!