When you’re a university student, sleep can feel like a waste of time. If you’re not in class, doing homework, or preparing for exams, you want to be enjoying yourself with extracurriculars and social events. All this leaves little time for sleep.

You may not even be sacrificing that much sleep — just an hour or two occasionally to stay up a little longer, whether that’s because you want to hang out with friends or you need extra time to finish an assignment. On other occasions, you may decide to pull an all-nighter for an exam the next day, despite the fact that countless studies show this leads to poorer results than pacing yourself.

The worst thing about lacking sufficient sleep is you’ll have hardly any energy. You’ll find it more difficult to focus in class, you’ll suffer more from stress, and you often won’t even enjoy fun activities as much. For these reasons, it’s important to make sure you sleep enough. Your best option is to stick to a sleep routine, as sleeping enough only some nights and trying to catch up later tends to backfire. The good news is there are simple ways you can immediately enhance your sleep routine.

1. Start a Nighttime Ritual

Create a ritual for before bed that will help you relax and put you in the mood for sleep. This could involve journaling, drinking a mug of herbal tea, or reading a couple chapters of a book for pleasure. By carrying out the same ritual every night, you’ll train your mind to switch off and find that you’re able to fall asleep at the right time.

2. Put Away All Screens

It’s difficult to fall asleep straight after using an electronic device. Put away your phone, your laptop, and anything else with a screen at least 30 minutes before bedtime. By ceasing your exposure to blue light, your melatonin levels will rise: your brain produces this hormone when it’s dark to help you sleep. On days when you absolutely have to keep studying right up until the moment you go to sleep, wear glasses to block blue light.

3. Make Your Bed Extra Comfortable

You’ll find you look forward to sleeping if your bed is welcoming. Invest in a comforter you love and add plenty of pillows. You may like to include a throw blanket you can use during your bedtime routine. Also pay attention to the rest of the room. First dim the lights — perhaps just have your desk lamp on during the hours leading up to bedtime — and then make your room as dark as possible when you go to sleep.
The only way you’ll be able to stick to a sleep routine is if you have a quiet apartment where you’re not constantly disturbed by your roommates. You can find UOttawa student housing that meets your needs at THEO. Choose between a one-bedroom apartment, a private bedroom in a shared apartment, or a shared bedroom. Contact us now to secure the type of room you want.