With midterms in full swing, it can be hard to let yourself get a good night’s sleep; especially if you feel like you don’t deserve it because you haven’t done enough studying for the night. But a good night’s sleep can be just as important as studying itself. Our bodies run on a 24-hour schedule via our circadian clock, and ruining your sleep cycle by pulling all-nighters can negatively affect you. If you find that you are having trouble falling asleep, here are some suggestions that you can try:
- “Power down” before you sleep, so no scrolling through Instagram on your phone and no playing Candy Crush Saga on your iPad 60 minutes before you plan to sleep
- Avoid taking naps in the middle of your day, they seriously interfere with your nightly sleep
- Reduce the amount of fluids you drink a couple of hours before you plan to sleep – having to get up and go to the washroom just as you get comfy in bed is no fun. An exception to this is milk; it contains Tryptophan, which studies suggest helps people fall asleep
You can find some more tips here: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/sleep-hygiene?page=2
