One of the most common pieces of advice given to university students is to make sure that you have a good sleeping schedule, even when things are really stressful. A lot of times, though, this tends to go over our heads, because it feels like the person who is saying those things to us doesn't really understand our situation, or how many other commitments we have. Additionally, we don't really recognize the important benefits of proper sleep, and the consequences that result from a lack of it.
According to the Sleep Foundation, the majority of university students get less than 7 hours of sleep in a night, while the recommended amount is between 7-9 hours. Not getting enough sleep can have more dangerous consequences than just feeling tired during the day. Remaining awake for an entire 18 hours is equivalent to having a blood alcohol content level of 0.05%. The more sleep-deprived drivers are, the more likely they are to get into an accident on the road. Additionally, lack of sleep affects your mood, increases stress levels, and makes it very difficult to concentrate on your work, which can make whatever you do not be as good as you'd like it to be.
On the topic of sleep, AMSA Community Adviser Hannah Abraham said: "I hate sleeping because I'm so bad at waking up.... but I've realized that the reason I'm so bad is because I don't get enough sleep and I'm probably in some REALLY big debt. I've been trying to sleep more and get myself on track with my life again! More advice - have a schedule and don't go past a certain time for sleeping!"
Other things to do to ensure you have a good sleep schedule are to have a reminder - whether that be a person or your phone at a certain time to let you know it's time to go to bed! Try to make this consistent - so pick the same time every night to give you stability. Also, try not to consume caffeine when you're close to going to sleep, and have a certain nighttime routine that you can follow (e.g. shower, reading a book, and more).
It's also really important to reach out for help if you find that you're having difficulty with getting enough sleep. See your healthcare provider for things they can do to help you achieve this! As always, mental health resources can be found when clicking on the Resources tab in the menu bar.
https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/why-you-should-make-a-good-nights-sleep-a-priority/
