Several studies consistently suggest that getting plenty of sleep is essential to maintaining good brain function, and during exam season should be no different. But how do you get yourself into a good routine? We’re here to help!
There are a few steps to take that can begin your process of maintaining good sleep health, so let us go through just a few that might get the ball rolling.
Try to Get 6-8 Hours of Sleep
The most important part to starting to change up your routine is to ensure you’re getting enough sleep in the first place. It’s recommended to get between 6-8 hours of sleep each night, through countless studies, this is what is considered the optimum amount. This time is essential to resetting your mind, allowing you to rest and recharge from the previous day whilst also keeping your body in good health. This sleep pattern will also help to reset your circadian rhythm, which will help you in the long run.
Stick to the Same Routine
Once you’ve got yourself into getting the right amount of sleep for you, it’s a great idea to stick to that regularly, to keep your body familiar with this routine as well as tuning it to getting a good amount of sleep each night. When you keep this going, you maintain your body’s internal clock which ultimately will help you fall asleep and wake up easier. Who could turn that down?
No Screens Before Bed
Now, we know this one is a little easier said than done, and in this day and age, screens are so ingrained into what we do that stopping that habit feels a little out of the ordinary. But it’s been proven that putting away the screens an hour before bed will actually help you fall asleep better as the blue light from screens keep your brain active for longer which means trying to fall asleep feels impossible. It’s said that this is because blue light “restrains the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle”.
Avoid Napping During the Day
When you’ve worked out your schedule and begun to get a really good sleep, you’ll start to feel a lot more productive, but you could easily undo that progress by napping late in the day. This will mean that you may not end up able to fall asleep at the same time as usual and your rhythm could end up completely out of sorts because of it. Besides this, napping during the day can also really affect your metabolic system. That’s not saying you shouldn’t nap at all but keep it to around 30 minutes or less and only once or twice a week!
These are just a few tips and tricks that will hopefully set you on the right path to mastering your sleep routine, thus allowing you to be more productive with your studies during the day. Any of these working for you? Let us know on socials and whilst you’re here, maybe check out our other blog on making some really easy student meals, since diet is also super important during this season!