5 Tips For A Good Night's Sleep

Sleep is an essential metabolic process. As a college student, I’m familiar with the stress and grind that naturally comes with college. Papers, deadlines, finals; believe me, we’ve all been there. Setting up a proper sleep routine can help you understand and consolidate information better, faster and over time. Sleep is the extra piece to a perfect study and health routine!

 1.  Get natural sunlight and go outside!

Natural sunlight is critical to your circadian rhythm, which is your body’s way of regulating your sleep and wake times. Exposing yourself to sunlight early on in the day—specifically your earliest waking hours—helps lower your cortisol levels in the evening. Cortisol is a stress hormone which, in high levels at night, will prevent your body from producing natural melatonin, the sleep hormone.

 2.  Develop a nighttime routine!

Your brain is sticky and likes to make connections. By developing a night-time routine, you train your body to get ready for bed as a result of different routines. This routine overall makes it easier for you to fall asleep faster and get a better quality of sleep. Winding down after a long day, with a shower or a nice book, allows you to get into the perfect mindset for optimal sleep.

 3.  Set a caffeine curfew!

As college students, we all love treats like coffee, chocolate, and soda. However, caffeine typically has a half-life of around 5 hours and can be as much as 9.5 hours. Half-life is the amount of time it takes your body to process the substance so it has half its effect. This means that caffeine is still active in your body more than 5 hours after you consume it. This has a huge impact on your sleep!

To get a proper amount of sleep at night, set a caffeine curfew, so you consistently stop ingesting caffeine after a specific time of day. 12 PM seems to be my sweet spot if you’re having trouble narrowing it down.

4. Optimum sleep temperature!

In order for your brain to signal to the rest of the body that it’s time to go to bed, your core body temperature needs to drop around 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit to send you to sleep.

The optimal temperature for your body to secrete and circulate melatonin (“the sleep hormone”) hovers at around 69 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Avoid eating and exercising immediately before going to sleep!

The consumption of food leads to the secretion of cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone.” Cortisol and melatonin have an inverse relationship. The higher your cortisol level is, the lower your melatonin level is. Cortisol is released since your body starts digesting the food, which is an intricate process that can lead to symptoms like acid reflux. Not only does eating before bed inhibit melatonin, but it also can increase your core body temperature as a result of your biological processes! If you do decide to grab a late night snack, lean more towards proteins since carbs release more energy and affect your core body temperature more. As for exercise, try getting your workout in at least two hours before you sleep!

 

References

Attia, P. (2019). ‘Matthew Walker, Ph.D., on sleep – Part I of III: Dangers of poor sleep, Alzheimer’s risk, mental health, memory consolidation, and more’ [Audio podcast]

(2019, April 15). Sleep Problems? Here's 21 Tips To Get The Best Sleep Ever. Retrieved from https://themodelhealthshow.com/sleep-problems-tips/

Walker, M. P. (2018). Why we sleep: unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. New York, NY: Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.