College can be the best time of your life – you will have new experiences, and meet new people who will be friends for life. But, it can also be an incredibly stressful time for a lot of people as well. There is so much studying to do, and you have assignments, exams, and a distinct lack of cash to deal with. On top of all of that, you’re probably going to find that your sleep schedule is pretty awful as well.
The problem is, when you are at college you like to do things you haven’t done before. And that can often mean doing things that disrupt your regular sleeping pattern. We’ve all done it before, and we will most likely all do it again, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. We certainly shouldn’t make a habit of doing it! Here are some of the things you can do to stop the hectic schedule you have in college, and ensure you get a better sleep pattern.
Get off your phone
Yes, believe it or not, your phone is one of the biggest causes of a funky sleep schedule. The reason for this is largely because looking at the light from your screen can cause the suppression of melatonin production. So, try to fight the urge to watch just one more episode on Netflix, or click on your ex’s Facebook feed to see what they’re up to. Leave your devices aside, and focus on listening to your body and trying to get sleep where you can. This will help you sleep better and therefore give you more time in your daily schedule.
Curb your snacking impulses
Another of the things that is likely to be interrupting your sleeping pattern is snacking too late in the day. Try to make sure you aren’t snacking at all after you have dinner. Eating late gives your body a burst of energy, and this makes it very difficult for you to get some sleep. Furthermore, feeling full causes you to toss and turn, and be more restless. A hot drink will help, but beware of adult beverages before bedtime, as it can interrupt your sleep pattern and result in making you more tired.
Rise at the same time every day
Now, this is a difficult one, we’re not going to lie to you there – but it’s also essential. You have to make sure you are getting up at the same time every day, even on a weekend. Listen to your body, and get up when it wakes you up – this is the best way to keep a stable sleep pattern. Sleeping in too late on a weekend can disrupt your weekly sleeping pattern, and leave you feeling more tired than you were before. It will also leave you less time to get things done, meaning you’ll end up with a hectic college schedule.
Don’t stress out
Yes, sometimes you are going to have to break your schedule – it’s an irrefutable fact of college life. You are going to have scenarios in which you can’t stick to your schedule, and that is okay. You need to make sure you don’t freak out about it too much. Getting stressed and beating yourself up over it is not the right approach to take. So, be sure to do as much as you can to stick to your schedule, but don’t worry unduly if you can’t
As you can see, there are a fair few things you can do to look after yourself and stop your hectic college schedule. You are going to find yourself very sleep deprived if you let it all get on top of you. So, the best thing to do is to make sure you keep a rigid and structured sleeping schedule as often as you possibly can.
