"But I'm Not Tired, I Don't Need Sleep" Often times, we push sleep to the side because other things get in our way. It can be easy to let the day get by and you need to submit an essay by midnight, or you stay up too late chatting with your roommates. While staying up late once in a while won't have an extreme impact on your well-being, if you are regularly missing out on a couple important hours of sleep, this begins to impact your physical and mental health, as well as on your school work. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults ages 18-25 need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. However, most students get way less sleep than the recommended amount. 70-96% of college students get less than eight hours of sleep per night. And over half of college students sleep less than seven hours per night. Consequences of Sleep Deprivation and How To Fix ItYou might be surprised to know that sleep deprivation can cause the same cognitive impairment as drinking alcohol. Other signs of sleep deprivation are daytime sleepiness and fatigue, irritability, mood changes, trouble coping with stress, difficulty concentrating and brain fog. As the semester moves along, the less sleep you are getting, the more chronic sleep deprivation becomes.
Here are some ways to set aside time to get enough rest: - Make sleep a priority: Just like how you set aside time in your day to go to class, meet up with friends, or go to the gym, set a time to begin winding down at the end of the night. - Establish an end of the day routine: This doesn't include schoolwork, or hanging out with friends, and instead focuses on relaxing activities such as taking a shower, or reading a book. - Avoid the caffeine jitters: Everyone's caffeine tolerance is different, but make an effort to avoid caffeinated drinks close to bedtime - Limit the use of bed for activities other than sleeping: It can be easy to climb into bed after classes and watch TV, scroll on TikTok or do homework, but avoid getting into bed until the end of the day when you are ready to go to bed. Source:https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/why-you-should-make-a-good-nights-sleep-a-priority/
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