We are a US Delegate for World Sleep 2024! Enter your email for FREE Sleep Support
recent press & sbnyc blog
QUICK ARTICLES WITH TIPS & TRICKS, FOR ALL THINGS SLEEP
CHECK OUT OUR INSTAGRAM FOR PODCASTS, INTERVIEWS & MORE!
Sleep Tight, Study Right: Healthy Sleep Habits for Students
Sleep Tight, Study Right: Healthy Sleep Habits for Students
Good sleep is essential for your health and academic success as a grad student. Our guide provides science-backed tips and strategies to help you get the rest you need. Start sleeping better tonight!
Check out the interview below. For the full article, originally published in Online Master's Degrees . org. click HERE
OMD: What are some effective strategies for managing stress and anxiety that can help students sleep better while balancing their graduate school workload?
TERESA: Simple breathwork techniques can be incredibly powerful for relaxation during the day and sleep at night. By focusing on your breath, you are actually helping to regulate and calm your nervous system. Just a few minutes of breathwork can activate the “rest and digest” mode of your parasympathetic nervous system. Practicing slow, deep nasal breathing or something more specific like box breathing can help you to relax and focus when you are studying, and it can also help to slow your mind to fall asleep.
How can students optimize their sleep space to improve sleep quality?
Make your bedroom as much of a “sleep sanctuary” as possible. Keep it dark with dark blinds or blackout curtains. Keep it cool with a thermostat set to 70 or below, or using open windows and fans. Remove clutter and put away study materials that might distract you from relaxation. Don’t study or do work in bed. Your brain loves to make associations, and in order to get a restful night of sleep, you don’t want your brain to associate your bed with being alert and actively studying. Ideally, you would work and study in a different part of your home to keep the bed for sleep and sex only. If you have no other place to go, then sit on you bed with it made, and even work at the bottom or on the side you don’t normally sleep on.
What sleep hygiene habits are best for helping students improve their sleep quality?
Consistency is key to maintaining your circadian rhythm and sleep quality—it can also be difficult during these busy and stressful times. Create a bedtime routine and morning routine that include just a few simple steps that you can do most days, in the same order, around the same time. Over time, your habits will become second nature and it will be easier for you to fall asleep AND get your day started. On the topic of bedtime routine—set a timer to start getting ready for bed (not a bedtime alarm). An hour or two before bed, dim lights in your home, reduce screen time, stop working, and start your bedtime routine. This might include a goodnight text, some herbal tea, reading a book, shower and skin care. Warm/hot showers in the evening can help lower your core body temperature, which is needed for quality sleep. It can also help to symbolize washing off the day and putting the thoughts and tasks aside until tomorrow. Conversely, cold showers can increase hormones to make you feel alert and align your circadian rhythm to help you sleep several hours later.
Are there any specific foods or drinks that should be avoided before bedtime?
Alcohol has a profoundly negative effect on sleep quality. Although it can have a sedative effect, it represses your REM sleep, and it can also increase how much you snore. It also might have you waking up to run to the bathroom, so it’s best to avoid it before bed. Caffeine has a 4-6 hour “half-life,” meaning that if you drink an afternoon coffee, half of it might still be in your brain and bloodstream into the night. You won’t be feeling the jitters or energy, but it can still delay sleep and interrupt your quality of sleep. Spicy meals, sugary snacks, and fatty meals should also be avoided late night. If you are hungry before bed, light carbs and protein are best.
How can students manage their schedule and workload to ensure sufficient time for sleep each night?
Schedule and prioritize sleep like you would exercise or an important meeting. If it’s in your schedule and calendar, think twice before doing something during that time, and find ways to make it work. While it seems impossible, know that six or more hours of sleep are absolutely necessary to learn and maintain new information and skills. Quality sleep allows you to consolidate memories and “press save” on the important memories. An all-nighter is rarely effective for the next day, or long-term memory, as you simply don’t have the brain function to optimize memory without sleep.
What are some effective relaxation techniques that can help with falling asleep faster and sleeping more soundly?
Breathwork—I highly recommend box breathing and the 4-7-8 method, which are simple and effective (and easily searchable online). Progressive muscle relaxation or a body scan can be sleep-inducing as well. These techniques help you to focus your thoughts and feelings internally, rather than on the external ideas and tasks of the day that are racing through your mind.
What are some common sleep disorders that graduate students might experience, and what are some strategies for managing them?
Sleep Apnea—snoring is a common sign of this, although some people don’t snore at all. If you wake up with your heart racing or gasping for air, if you grind your teeth, if you have to use the bathroom multiple times each night, and/or wake up with headaches—speak to a sleep professional right away to get treated. You might try nasal sprays or mouth tape to encourage healthy breathing, but these will only work if you have a mild form of sleep apnea and snoring. (Ask me, or your primary care physician if you don’t know how to find a sleep professional).
Insomnia—sleeplessness is normal in all people from time to time, especially during stressful situations. Sleeplessness that lasts more than three months and happens more than three nights a week may be considered chronic insomnia. Healthy habits and sleep hygiene can help, but the most effective way to treat this is with cognitive behavioral therapy. There are apps and dedicated professionals to walk you through this. Sleeping pills are common but are not the most effective treatment, and they come with a long list of potential side effects.
How can students balance their social life and academic obligations while still prioritizing quality sleep?
Find others who are taking care of their minds and bodies, who respect your decision to do the same. Sleep is not a luxury or reward that you need to earn—it’s a biological need. It will only help you learn more, be more successful, and be a better person for yourself and your friends. If you drink alcohol at social events, try to limit the quantity, drink earlier in the day, and skip that night cap. Mocktails are really popular nowadays; when they don’t have too much sugar, some ingredients can even help you sleep! And, as mentioned before, schedule sleep and stick to a schedule as much as possible to make it easier for you to work around your priority and healthy habits.
For the full article, originally published in Online Master's Degrees . org. click HERE
looking for an author, or
expert review of your content?
Copyright © 2023 Sleep Better NYC LLC - All Rights Reserved. | Website designRach Johnson