Not Getting Enough Sleep?
By Aly Halter, Editor
February 10, 2010
Filed under Health & Fitness
The signs are all there: your eyelids are heavy, your muscles are tight, your skin is breaking out, and you can’t focus. You’re too busy planning when you can squeeze in an afternoon nap to listen to your professor’s voice.
Most all of us students have felt this way at one time or another. Studies have reported that lack of sleep affects tens of millions of adults each year. Here, I have provided some tips for getting the sleep your body requires to function properly.
First, I’ll outline the possible effects of lack of sleep on your body. You’ll want to avoid these!
- Advanced aging of the body
- Weight gain
- Irritability
- Higher risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes
- Acute muscle pains
- Dizziness, nausea, and headaches
- Memory loss
- Inhibited self-control
- Slows body’s healing abilities and deteriorates the immune system
Now, to avoid these side effects, follow these healthy tips:
- Sleep on a regular schedule – Your internal clock will adjust to your habits. If you fail to create a constant schedule, your body will be very confused and you will struggle to fall asleep early when you need to.
- Prioritize Sleep – Don’t put sleep at the bottom of your priorities. If you need to, schedule naps in your schedule, but the bottom line is, you won’t be able to function properly without a good night of sleep.
- Eat Smart – You may toss and turn if you fall victim to late-night bingeing. Try to cap off your snacking an hour before you turn in.
- Work in Exercise – You’ll sleep so much better if your body is worn out!
- Avoid All-Nighters – Plan your projects ahead of time. An all-nighter will screw up your sleep schedule for at least three days afterwards. Instead, plan a week ahead of time to get your studying or project done ahead of time or little by little each day.
- Make Over Your Bed – Is your bed uncomfortable? Try a different pillow or different sheets.
- Use Sounds – To avoid being woken up by roommates or people outside your window, invest in a fan or a white noise machine. I use a both a fan AND a white noise machine on my iTouch, actually, and you can find an online white noise generator here. They block out noise like a charm!
- Drink Milk or Decaffeinated Tea - It will relax your body before you settle down to sleep.
Sweet dreams!
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