After a long day of classes, the late shift at work, or just experiencing the mayhem of your dorm hallway, you retreat to the quiet sanctuary of your room. As you climb into your bed, wrap yourself in the sheets and attempt to fall asleep, you suddenly remember that you have a biology quiz tomorrow and you haven’t opened the book yet. As you climb out of bed, you tell yourself, “Missing and hour of sleep won’t kill me,” and you study longer. You nail the quiz and feel fine. But as those nights of short sleep become the norm rather than an occasional thing, you begin to see the effects. You begin to feel drained and tired all day. Of course, there will be nights when you will sleep less, whether it is after a big concert or when you’re studying for finals. But chronic sleep loss adds up to being more than tired and grouchy. Lost sleep can cause problems like these:

• Inability to focus in class
• Increased likelihood of weight gain
• Impaired immunity to viruses and common illnesses
• Diminished creativity
• Forgetfulness and being prone to accidents

When asked to rank a list of wellness concerns, students we interviewed identified sleep problems as second in importance of what they were concerned about.

Snacks, Exercise, and Bedtime Rituals

Did you know that sugars and fats in bedtime snacks influence the way you sleep? Eating a stack of cookies before bed might make you sleepy, but after a few hours, it will wear off. This is because your blood sugar falls, which makes you hungry again even though you may have eaten a few hours prior. We know what you’re thinking, “I’ve gone to bed hungry a lot of times before.” If you’ve fallen asleep, you weren’t really hungry. When you are hungry, your body will remain alert until you feed it. The easiest way to avoid either one of these problems is to eat something healthy.

• Exercise Also Affects Sleep

A good workout will invigorate your body, help you fall asleep faster, and help you sleep longer than if you don’t exercise at all. Exercise may overstimulate some people, so it is best done several hours before bedtime. By now, most of you have probably figured out that when you exercise, you feel good about yourself. Those “feel good” emotions are produces by body chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins help you deal with daily stresses, which in turn help you become less stressed as bedtime approaches. The end result? With less anxiety, you will fall asleep and experience solid rest for long periods of time.

• Out Like a Light

Okay, so we’ve convinced you about the importance of sleep. Here are some practical tips for hitting the pillow and conking out. And even if it’s not realistic for you to get eight to nine hours of sleep a night, these tips will help you maximize your rest or train yourself to function better on less sleep.

• Create a bedtime routine: This signals your brain that sleep is on the way. If that means having a few Oreos and a glass of milk, brushing your teeth, and then showering before bed, great!
• Drink water, and lots of it: To sleep well, your body must be hydrated properly. Drink eight to ten cups per day, and drink more when you are physically active.
• Seek absolute peacefulness: When you do sleep, make it count. Make sure your room is always perfectly quiet, very dark, and well ventilated. Open a window, even if only a crack, for fresh air.
• Read a book or magazine: That doesn’t mean a textbook or a journal article for class. It means a good novel or the latest copy of Rolling Stone. Reading will relax your mind and tire your eye muscles, signaling them to rest.

Napping

Napping should be limited to twenty to thirty minutes. This amount may not seem ling, but it can be enough to restore energy to enjoy the evening. If you sleep longer than thirty minutes, you will enter a deep sleep, which will only make it difficult for you to wake up. It’s helpful to set an alarm for thirty minutes. You can relax, sleep for a short time, and know that you are going to wake up with the alarm. However, if your lack of sleep is so great that you need a longer nap, sleep for at least ninety minutes. This will enable you to complete a sleep cycle, which will bring you even more rest.

excerpt from The Smart Student's Guide to Healthy Living: How to Survive Stress, Late Nights, and the College Cafeteria by M.J. Smith RD, FADA, and Fred Smith