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Health Wellness

7 Ways To Get More Sleep, And Yes, I'm Looking At You, Night Owls

Sleep is not only "for the weak,” please get some while you can.

Cydney-Alexis Delarosa

Jan 29, 2019

University of Connecticut

535

7 Ways To Get More Sleep, And Yes, I'm Looking At You, Night Owls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0OFfm8RPv0

To those who promise to call it a night early, but still find themselves up until 2:00 am or later, please try to actually follow through. You need your sleep now more than anything. Even though we are "young college students" we still need to make sure we are well rested. Less than 8 hours of sleep per night can slow down productivity, decrease happiness, and create an overall higher risk of developing certain diseases. Here are some tips on how to ensure you are in bed at a reasonable hour:

Cut back on your beloved naps.

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Yes, you had a long day, and yes, that three-hour block between your classes is practically begging you to head back to your room and nap the whole time, but that is too bad. You need to remain strong and fight the urge to take extended naps during the day if you truly want to be able to experience that deep slumber you have been yearning for.

Reduce blue light exposure.

Funny Cat GIF - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphy

Although the end of the day is typically the common time catch up on all of your social media feeds, a high amount of blue exposure, especially at night time, can heavily affect your sleeping patterns. Blue light is emitted by most LED screens (tablets, cell phones, televisions, computers/laptops, smartwatches, etc.) Exposure to blue light at night results in overstimulation of senses, which is detrimental when it comes time to sleep, and it can also disrupt your circadian rhythm. To try and prevent this, utilize night mode on Apple devices, or download screen filters for PC/Android devices, these typically provide an alternative yellow/warm backlighting. Aside from filters, blue light glasses are another option for shielding.

Increase daylight exposure.

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Exposure to more natural sunlight helps maintain circadian rhythm, which in turn will help you wake up for those eight am classes feeling energized even after a long night. If the weather is nice, try having an outdoor study/hangout session!

Utilize your breaks.

If your workload is the reason behind the divide between yourself and sleep, try to utilize your breaks. If you have small blocks of free time throughout the day, schedule this time to get a jump on your studies. However, if you find your schedule littered with classes, research, and other extracurriculars try to utilize the few 15-30 minute breaks that you may have. This will help you get more time at night and allow you to get caught up on your sleep.

Increase your melatonin intake.

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If you truly find extreme trouble when it comes time to head to bed, try adjusting your overall melatonin intake! Melatonin is produced by the brain but it can be found in foods (fruits, veggies, grains, nuts/seeds), as well as supplements which can be purchased at your local grocery store.

Set up a routine.

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Give yourself a strict bed time and stick to it. This will cause your body to get used to the pattern and ultimately get you back on track to dreamland.

Exercise more often.

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Working out during the day can help you to expend any pent up energy, this will ultimately get your body to feel tired and make you want to sleep. Grab your designated workout buddy or your favorite friend and head to the gym!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

University of Dayton

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How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

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Student Life

26 Things to Thank Our Roommates For

Who knows where we would be without them.

Michigan State University

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Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Butler University

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Disney magic kingdom castle on new years

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Recommended for you

7 Ways To Get More Sleep, And Yes, I'm Looking At You, Night Owls

Sleep is not only "for the weak,” please get some while you can.

Cut back on your beloved naps.

Reduce blue light exposure.

Increase daylight exposure.

Utilize your breaks.

Increase your melatonin intake.

Set up a routine.

Exercise more often.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

Money

Socks

Blankets

Gift Cards

Hoodies and Sweatpants

Pajamas

Candles

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