The Importance of Sleep for Student Wellbeing

Why you need a good night's sleep and how you can make it a regular thing.

Sleep can make all the difference. The recommended amount of sleep for young people (18-25) is 7-9 hours (per night). But what are the actual benefits of getting those hours in? Turns out, there are actually a bunch of reasons to prioritise sleep.

What good sleep does for you

Here are the main positive effects of getting the recommended amount of sleep:

• Feel overall fresher and ready for the day. You will have normal reflexes and quicker responses. Switched on and motivated!
• Maintain a balanced mood leading to more positive energy and relationships. Sleep helps you process the day and you will wake up more level-headed.
• You will also process what you've learnt during sleep which will benefit your studying and memory retention.
• Dreaming is linked with creativity! The more REM (rapid eye movement) sleep you have the better your creative energy will be.
• Sleep can help cure illnesses, as your body produces more antibodies to boost your immune system.

But how can you get a good sleep?

Here are the most common/easiest ways to get a better night's sleep:

• Find the right levels for light, temperature and noise. These three usually have the biggest impacts on sleep so try to keep your room dark (lights off, blinds closed), cool (window open/shut, heating on/off, extra/less blankets) and quiet (ask others to keep the noise down). Master these elements and you'll fall asleep with ease.
• Avoid drinking any caffeine before bed (this includes coffee, tea, certain fizzy drinks, etc) so that you're not buzzed before bed. You can always drink substitutes like chamomile tea or warm milk instead.
• Make your bed as comfy for you as possible. Recommend a mattress topper, an emergency blanket if you're too cold or more pillows.
• Try to keep your sleep on a tight schedule, around the same time every night. Napping through the day will make it much harder to get to sleep so avoid those tempting naps as much as possible.
• There are apps designed to help you sleep if you are really struggling. They offer relaxing sounds or stories plus lots of general tips. Check out what mindfulness apps we'd recommend.
• Keep your screen time before bed in check so your mind doesn't stay awake. Try to stay away from your phone, monitor, or TV for at least an hour before going to bed. If you need entertainment before bed you can always listen to a podcast or read a book instead (we'd recommend Matthew Walker's podcast on sleep if you need more information).
• Only use your bed for sleep. Get your body used to the idea that the bed is sleep and nothing else. You can always chill, and watch TV in a comfy chair instead. If you don't have any other option than your bed then dedicate one side for sleeping.

Now you know how much sleep counts and how to easily get the amount you need!