24 Healthy Sleep Habits
Micah Altes; Jel De Jesus; Brandon Tanji; and Matthew Lomsdalen
Intro
This chapter will cover the topic of creating and enforcing healthy sleeping habits. Topics will include how your behaviors throughout the day and how they affect your sleep, why we sleep, and go over healthy habits to include in your nightly routine. This chapter will target students who want to learn about the beneficial habits of sleeping and balancing academic achievement and good health.
How much sleep do you really need?
The National Sleep guidelines serve as a standard to the majority of the population but the amount of sleep needed can vary from person to person. Most college students need around 7-9 hours of sleep to work and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, most students get around 6-6.9 hours of sleep which can lead to a physical effect on the brain and body, fatigue, and lowered mental acuity.
Common issues for not enough sleep
College students have a lot of stress to deal with juggling between their responsibilities, social lives, academic studies, and sometimes extracurricular activities. In the end, this greatly affects the student’s sleeping patterns and builds up common issues why students find it hard to get enough sleep. According to the studies, college students with sleep difficulties commonly either have anxiety, a busy mind, discomfort, or due to the noise of the environment. These issues affect people differently but there are treatments and remedies to overcome these obstacles. Consequences of sleep loss entail impaired brain development due to sleep deprivation cool, poor coordination, and increased negative feelings including suicide.
Methods that can help you sleep better
There are many remedies to improve sleep. Since a lot of college students find it hard to set the right amount of time to sleep, a helpful tip that can help students get the proper amount of rest is setting alarms of when to go to sleep, getting exercise throughout the day, and turning off screens 30 minutes before bedtime. As a college student, the rest needs to be a priority not only to benefit the brain but also to the person’s body. Meditation and focusing on breathing is a way to ease and calm yourself. Most of the time, students are under pressure, and taking a break and breather is just what you need to fall asleep. Developing a pre-bedtime ritual such as hygiene routines, listening to music, or even just turning off the lights can prepare your mind to sleep. It is good to find a routine for yourself that will signify to your body that it is time for bedtime. A good night’s sleep can also be gained through a good day. It is good to end your night with a clear mind, away from distractions such as unsolved problems, or finding comfort from your pillow.
20- Minute Power Nap
College students are infamous for pulling dusk until dawn affairs when large papers are expected or finals are not too far off, yet relinquishing rest has outcomes. Truth be told, not getting enough shuteye may take as a very remarkable cost for an undergraduate’s scholarly presentation as drinking excessively.
According to sleep.org, a nap will never absolutely supplant a decent night’s rest, yet it very well may be a lifesaver to college students who stayed outdoors at the library while they study, or to the individuals who drive to their classes and do not have the opportunity to return home in the middle of them. Resting for around 20 minutes is ideal for a fast jolt of energy, and logging an entire hour and a half permits time for Rapid Eye Movement (REM) rest (during which the brain will enable a memorable understudy of what the individual has studied).
Maintaining good sleep hygiene.
Having good sleep hygiene is the most straightforward answer to getting better sleep. Strong sleep hygiene means having a strong rest-ready environment, a steady sleep schedule, a relaxing pre-bed routine, and building healthy habits throughout the day that contribute towards better sleep. Making steps towards more restful sleep involves doing gradual adjustments throughout multiple days, like adjusting the time you go to bed by one hour every day. Prioritizing sleep is also very important, do not stay up for anything you wouldn’t wake up early for.
Do’s and Don’ts of sleeping
Most college students need to manage their time around getting as much sleep as they can. Cramming the last minute and staying up all night trying to finish their homework isn’t the best way to learn new information. Incorporating a nightly routine to settle yourself for sleep tells the body that it’s time for sleep and can lead to falling asleep much faster. The most important and unfortunately the most difficult part is disconnecting from screens before bedtime. The best way to wind down without looking at a screen is to read a book, light stretching, meditating, or listening to relaxing music. Throughout the day, students can also contribute to sleep by getting exercise and getting a healthy amount of sunlight, which helps the circadian rhythm. Also, don’t forget to experiment with different habits and see what gets you the sleepiest the fastest and what you find enjoyable to do every night.
Mental Health and Sleeping.
Sleep is very closely connected with mental and emotional health and has links to depression, anxiety, and many other conditions. There are a couple of ways to improve one’s mental health with sleep like improving sleep habits and getting cognitive-behavioral therapy. The roles in the brain while sleeping can greatly impact one’s mental health, for example, getting a sufficient amount of REM sleep can improve the brain’s processing of emotional information.
Conclusion
In closing, It is very important to maintain healthy sleep habits. As it can affect a student’s academic career and mental health immensely. The maintenance of these aspects of sleep can promote better well-being and a much better quality of life. Knowing the balance of sleep, academics, and personal life can help maintain overall well-being.