Sleep related problems are among the most common health issues among college students. According to Brown University’s Health Department, students are among the most sleep-deprived demographic. This is due to their poor habits that include pulling all nighters, poor diet and use of stimuli such as caffeine. Rather then causing unnecessary harm to your body it’s important to receive the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.

Limit your caffeine and nicotine several hours before bedtime. It’s obvious that caffeine products will keep you awake, but so will products with nicotine (like cigarettes). This is because they act as stimulants in your body.

Avoid drinking any alcohol. Passing out is not the same as getting good sleep.

Avoid long naps. Short naps can be quite refreshing during the mid-afternoon slump, but long naps can make it difficult to receive a good night’s sleep.

Try to exercise and stay active during the day. Engage in up to 30 minutes of physical activity to enhance deep sleep. But avoid exercising in the 6 hours before bedtime, as it will affect your sense of alertness.

Try to relax before going to sleep. Having an alert mind may make it difficult to sleep. Slow the pace of activities before going to bed by light reading or watching TV. This will help you fall asleep naturally with less stress.

Finally, set a pattern to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Do you remember that lesson in Psychology 1 regarding classical conditioning? Go to bed at the same time every night until you’re conditioned to fall asleep at that time. Setting a regular sleep pattern will reduce insomnia along with increasing your mentality during the day.