We get it, college can be stressful! Balancing schoolwork, a job, maintaining a social life, and yes, sleep! Sleep is crucial for students and we understand that getting a good night’s rest can be quite difficult when you don’t get to sleep until after 3am and are back up at 7:30 in order to make it to your 8am class. Here are a few tips to help you catch some ZZZZZzzzzzz’s.

• Avoid drinking alcohol or smoking before bed, a lot of people are under the impression that these drugs help sleep while this may be true for getting to sleep but it makes the quality of your sleep much worse by waking up more frequently during the night.
• Do not drink caffeine within 2 hours of when you are planning on going to sleep, as well as any other sugary foods or drinks.
• Do not exercise within a few hours of your planned bedtime, working out releases adrenaline and will stimulate your body and you will have trouble sleeping.
• After you finish up class in the afternoon, plan your naps carefully! Taking naps are okay but you should note that it is best to keep your naps under one hour and avoid taking naps at all after 3pm in order to be tired when it comes time to put your head down for an entire night’s sleep.
• Plan out a sleep schedule that you should stick to and plan your day around, after all your grades and many other things depend on how alert you are throughout the day.

Following these simple tips you can easily increase the quality and quantity of your sleep!