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By: Georgia Maxwell, Gradlife Ambassador

In the best of times it’s hard to keep a healthy sleep schedule, and needless to say, these are not the best of times. When blue-light is keeping your brain wide awake and your asynchronous classes never seem to start until midnight, getting some good and healthy sleep seems to be pushed to the bottom of the list. I know I don’t need to tell you that sleep is important, but I thought it might be helpful to give you some tips on how to actually get it. Or at least, how to get yourself back on a better sleep schedule.

I would just like to add in this disclaimer that I am by no means a doctor, I am an English major, and everything I have included in this article I found on google (original, not scholar). So please take these tips with the same amount of skepticism you have when your weird uncle gives you dating advice.

Just like your day, your sleep works best when it’s on a schedule

According to the Sleep Foundation, waking up at the same time each morning is key to cultivating some good sleep. You should choose a wake-up time that you can stick to on week days and weekends in order to help your body get into a rhythm and stay in it. Similarly, just like how you schedule your day and budget time for the things you need to do, you should be doing the same thing for getting enough sleep!

But how much sleep should you be getting?

Healthline suggests that adults should be getting to 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, but the exact amount varies per person since different things work best for different people. While everyone is different, I think it’s safe to say that if you’re falling asleep at your desk during the day (cough cough me) then you’re probably not getting enough sleep.

Naps: Best Friend or Frenemy?

Naps can be your friend, but it all depends on when you take them. According to the Sleep Foundation, the best time to nap is in the early afternoon, and it should only be for about 20 minutes. If you nap too long or too late in the day (is anyone else a fan of the nap until it’s dinner move?) this can throw off your sleep, and a bad sleep is never worth a good nap. It’s sort of like sleep is your ride or die, and naps only show up when you’re throwing a party. You can keep both in your life, but it’s important to remember which one’s the priority.

If you’re struggling with sleep, you can make an appointment with Health and Wellness, which has a range of services that can help you with your physical and mental health. Remember, lots of people, and especially Grad students, struggle with sleep and you’re not alone.

References

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/sleep-calculator

2. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/healthy-sleep-tips