The Importance of Sleep for College Students

As a college student, I’ll be the first to admit that there are times when I just don’t get enough sleep. Between classes, work, friends, internships, family, and church, sleep seems to be one of the last things on my mind. The University of Georgia reported that the average college student typically gets 6-6.9 hours of sleep per night. While these numbers are close to the recommended 8 hours, there is still room for improvement.

Here are some of the positive effects of sleep I found from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

1.Good sleep habits improve learning.

(So when you’re tempted to pull those all-nighters, remember that it might not help you pass the exam the next day)

2. Good sleep habits repair your heart and blood vessels.

3. Sleep keeps your immune system healthy.

4. Sleep affects the way your body responds to insulin, the hormone that controls your glucose level.

5.  Quality sleep makes you more productive.

Making sure you have healthy sleep habits will be beneficial to all aspects of your life. Even though a lot of us are juggling several different obligations, it’s important that we also prioritize sleep.

To help you out, here are some tips that Harvard Medical School recommends:

• Try to avoid drinks with caffeine and alcohol in them before bedtime.

• Only go to sleep when you’re actually tired.

• Keeping the temperature between 60 and 75 degrees fahrenheit should helpful.

• Establish a pre-sleep routine.

• Try to stick to the same sleep routine throughout the whole week.

I hope you are able to use some of these tips to improve your sleep habits. Remember that we do our best work when we are alert and refreshed.