1/3 of your life is spent sleeping. That equates to about 25 years of an average human’s life. This is an important time for your body to recover and to strengthen your memory. (CNN Health).
With finals week quickly approaching, sleep is more important than ever to ace that last test.
According to Dr. Ancoli-Israel, most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night. She says that “People are so busy in their everyday lives and something has to give. They give up on sleep rather than something else.”
I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. This is something of concern, not only for memory and mental cognition, but also your general health.
Studies show that short-term sleep deprivation can cause you to crave foods high in carbohydrates and sugars. Therefore, lack of an appropriate amount of sleep is associated with weight gain. (WebMD).
Research also shows an increased mortality risk for those who get below the recommended amount of sleep per night. One study surprisingly found that sleep deprivation is a greater mortality risk than smoking, high blood pressure, and heart disease. (WebMD).
Which I find hard to believe, but we will let the research speak for itself unless otherwise disproven.
Sleeping also has a major impact on our mental health. Lack of sleep is associated with psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. (WebMD).
With all of the negative aspects of sleep deprivation, one would think a simple solution is to get more sleep. However, that is easier said than done if you are someone that has trouble falling asleep, or if you are one of the 60 million Americans that have reported experiencing insomnia (Neurological Disorders and Stroke).
Sleep disorders run in my family and I, personally, average about five hours of sleep per night. Therefore, I have tried lots of tricks and medicine to get to sleep. I would like to share some tips I have researched and tried to help you get to sleep.
1. Avoid exercising late at night. I am certainly guilty of this on several occasions as I am more motivated at night to hit the gym. You would think a nice exercise would tire you out and put you to sleep. However, a vigorous exercise stimulates your heart, brain, and muscles, which is the opposite of what you want to have before bedtime.
2. Don’t procrastinate doing homework or studying for a test. As a double major with a full-time job, I know how hard this is for college students. It’s easy to leave a project until the last minute, or cram for that big exam the night before.
However, I promise that it is possible with effective time management. Try making a schedule of what you have due for the month and plan out the days that you can finish those assignments or study.
3. Give your body and mind a 60-minute wind-down before sleeping. “We are assaulted by information all the time and it’s really up to us to create routines that help separate the buzzing of the brain from our sleep routines,” says Janet Kennedy, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, founder of NYC Sleep Doctor and author of The Good Sleeper: The Essential Guide to Sleep for Your Baby (and You).
Dr. Kennedy therefore recommends giving yourself an hour to relax and unwind before trying to sleep.
4. Limit your caffeine intake throughout the day. As a former caffeine addict, my new motto is, “if you don’t need it, don’t drink it,” Don’t simply drink coffee just to drink it. Have a decaf coffee if you want the taste but don’t need the energy boost.
5. Take a hot bath or shower before bed. This is a classic technique that works well for me. According to Dr. Kennedy, your body temperature drops rapidly once you get out of the shower. Which creates a sleepy feeling because your metabolic processes slow down.
6. Wear socks to sleep. According to research studies, the optimal temperature for sleep is a cool core temperature and a warm extremity temperature. That warm shower has taken care of the core temperature, and the socks are the finishing touch to create an ideal sleeping temperature.
7. Don’t go to sleep unless you are tired. This seems logical, but we have all tried to go to sleep early for a big event the next day, but it is not something you can force upon yourself.
Hopefully these tips will help you get some more sleep this finals week. Because I know we all want that extra edge on the exam, and sleeping more may be the answer. (No pun intended).
Zach Heppner
Viewpoints Editor
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