It is always important to get a good night’s rest. Sleep enables the body to repair and get ready for another day. However, for a variety of reasons, many students struggle to get enough sleep. Here are a few ways to better your sleep schedule.

Be consistent. Schedule a time that you want to go to bed and wake up. Try to stick with the times as much as possible. Scheduling a time frame and proceeding to do the same time every night will help your body know when to go to bed. Maybe even try the same time on the weekends to help your body get into a rhythm. This will help you fall asleep much faster and you’ll feel well rested when you wake up.

Avoid any screens for the night. The light from your TV, phone, computer, or gaming system could be one of the many reasons why you can’t sleep at night. The light from these devices could actually keep your brain active which makes it difficult to shut down and fall asleep. So if you’re trying to go to bed early, try to limit the screen time at least 30 minutes before your bedtime. You could substitute a book or magazine for your pre-bed phone time. 

Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Sometimes people can’t fall asleep when their room is not the ideal environment. Set the room to a cold temperature by opening a window or turning down the heater at night and snuggle under some blankets. The ideal sleeping temperature falls between 60 and 67 degrees, much cooler than you think it should be, especially in the winter. Your sleep struggles could be related to a bedroom that is too warm for comfortable rest.

Try sounds. Some people need background sounds to fall asleep. Try playing some soft music or white noise at night. There are so many different sounds to try such as ocean waves, rain, chimes, lullabies, classical music, etc.Trying something new could be to do because it’s a brand new experience to the brain. Another option could be to listen to guided meditation designed to help you fall into restful sleep.

Using some of these tactics can help better your sleep which can better prepare you for the long school day ahead. Sleep well, Hawks! ZZZZZzzz