Power Through the Day With a Full Night’s Rest

Sleep Tips from Students With Healthy Sleep Habits

By Ava Margolis, Staff Writer

With the fall semester’s Block D beginning, students may struggle with meeting deadlines, staving off procrastination and managing their busy, year-end schedules. These challenges could shift or disrupt sleep routines entirely, which can impact students throughout the day.

College students no longer have the structured bedtimes that were enforced in their parents’ homes. Now, it is up to them to decide when to go to sleep.

Because of this, some students are able to maintain great bedtime routines, while others struggle.

To understand what habits help with establishing a healthy bedtime routine, iPulse spoke with two students and an alumnus who have stable sleep schedules and shared their advice.

“I know I should not use my phone before I sleep because of the blue light and circadian rhythm; if I stick to that, I can have a better day, and my cognitive function can improve. If I get four hours of sleep, my cognitive function won’t be there,” said Lynn student Jezzy Yeb.

Phones can easily become a distraction, thus limiting restful sleep because of their blue light. Often, when people are tired, they force themselves to stay awake by using their phones or other devices and thereby limiting themselves to just a few hours of sleep. Understanding your body and listening to it is often the best advice.

“Sticking to a sleep schedule is best for me. I need six to eight hours to ensure I have energy,” said Lynn student Olivia Palmisano. “I work better in the afternoon [by] listening to my body.”

Some people need more sleep than others. If the day is too busy, taking a power or short nap to reenergize can be beneficial. The human body needs sleep to reenergize as much as it needs food for fuel.

“I normally get about seven hours of sleep. What has helped me sleep is not eating late, taking a hot shower and reading books before bed. Plus, reducing screen time and just making sure there are no other lights on also helps,” said Lynn alumnus Jax Price.

Having a sleep schedule can be beneficial to keep one’s mind and body healthy. Running on low sleep can negatively affect students’ mood and productivity . Having a sleep routine or program, whether it is strict or not, is shared by all students who have mastered the art of healthy sleep.