We hear “you need your sleep” all the time and continuously brush it off like it’s not true. For most college students getting the amount of sleep we need seems nearly impossible. Sleep might be the most important thing you can do for your health. During sleep, our bodies heal and repair. Continuous lack of sleep is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and a weakened immune system. I get it, getting a proper amount of sleep might be the hardest thing to maintain throughout your college career, but it makes a noticeable difference.

1. Use Sleeping apps, Not Your Alarm Clock

Six months ago I purchased two apps for the iPhone that changed my life. They changed the way I slept, napped, woke up, and the way I felt every day after. The first was the Power Nap and the other was the Sleep Cycle.

The Power Nap app was an amazing investment and for less than two dollars I felt it was worth it. Both the Power Nap and Sleep Cycle app use the built-in accelerometer in the iPhone to analyze your movements and helps wakes you up at the right times. Since I don’t have a whole lot of time to be sleeping during the day the best nap for me is a quick little 20-minute power nap. Since I’ve used this app I have noticed a significant increase in alertness in my classes and It’s been easier to stay focused while reading. You can adjust the nap modes depending on how much time you have. My favorite mode is the first mode. The “Power Nap” allows you to rest up to 20 minutes. The second mode, the “Recovery Nap” allows you to rest up to 45 minutes. The last mode is the “1 Sleep Cycle” which allows you to sleep for one full sleep-cycle, and wakes you up in your light sleep phase. If you use this app consistently it's pretty easy to notice changes in alertness and memory retention.

2. Napping

The over all goal is to get more sleep at night but if you’re up every night doing homework ‘til late or if you’re forced to get up early because of an 8am then you need to be incorporating a nap into your daily routine. Most people fear they aren’t able to fit in a nap but a nap can take as little as half an hour. Schedule in your calendar, planner, or whatever system you use to keep track of everything a time for you to go back and nap. I often schedule half-hour time periods in between classes or after lunch for me to go back to my dorm room and nap.

3. Taking Better Naps

Many have said that they try to take naps but they don't find them that successful. For these people it's probably because you aren't napping right. According to many sleep psychologists, sleep specialists and research articles like Today's Health and Wellness the best time to take a nap is in the afternoon.

-Try Napping right after eat because if you’re hungry when you start to take a nap, you most likely won’t be able to sleep very well.

-Stick to a schedule. If you nap at the same time ever day your body will grow accustomed to that routine.

-Try not to exercise or do something stressful right before you nap because then you probably won’t be able to sleep as sound.

-I hear all the time from my friends “I have trouble falling asleep during the day” I used to be the same way. If you have trouble taking naps during the day and don’t try to take naps you’re not helping yourself. If you can’t fall asleep on cue don’t feel bad. It’s definitely something you get better at and if you start to get into a routine I guarantee your body will reward you.

-I actually used a sleeping mask my airline gave me for a nap a couple months ago and it really made the difference. It’s a little dorky but it really helped me fall asleep faster. I have also heard of some people using a warm wash cloth to cover their eyes.

-I tried napping with music on, the tv, beach noises, etc but the only thing I found that worked for me was being in a quiet place with a little bit of grey noise from the fan. Everyone is different though and you will have to figure out what works and doesn’t work for you.

4. Eating

Diet, Diet, Diet! We hear it all the time but we still skip meals, don’t eat our fruits and vegetables and drink more caffeine than water. When I go about my day I often think back to this quote I heard when I was in high school. “I eat to nourish my body not my tongue.” I think it’s stuck with me so long because what we put into our body directly correlates to the amount of work we can get out of it. Hydration is just as important as the food you’re putting into your body because it helps with bodily functions.

5. Electronics Before Bed Mess With the Head

As tempting as it is to look at our phones, computer and TV screens before bed it as actually highly recommended that using screens before bedtime can seriously impact your sleep quality and alertness the next day. A Huffington Post article reported that 12 participants who read on an iPad before bed for five days straight, a process that was then repeated with printed books, had horrible sleep patterns. Using screens means that we are glaring at blue light, which is known to make you, more alert and suppresses your melatonin, therefore negatively impacting your quality of sleep.

6. Time Management

Many of us don’t get enough sleep due to a lack of time management,

myself included. Two techniques I’ve used to ensure I get enough sleep are creating a calendar with my week planned out. By doing so, I am able to see the little amount of free time I have and plan a nap or a time where I get to relax. College might be the least structured institute for getting enough sleep but with a few adjustments you can definitely make improvements in your sleep efficiency.