Tips to Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is a critical factor in weight maintenance and weight loss. Many college students do not get enough sleep for various reasons. If you find that you can't fall asleep at night or have trouble sleeping through the night, the things you do in the hours before you climb in to bed may be to blame. Having a good evening routine is important for falling asleep and staying asleep through the night.


What You Can Do During the Day
Eat Dinner Early
Avoid fatty foods late at night as they will take longer for your stomach to digest, which may make sleeping difficult. Try not to eat fatty foods at least 3 hours before going to sleep. If you get hunger late at night avoid heavy foods that cannot digest quickly. Some good choices for a late night snack include Chamomile tea, walk milk (keep it skim or 1%), a few slices of turkey, bananas, honey, oatmeal, flax seed, and whole wheat bread.
Move Around After Dinner
Avoid post-meal drowsiness by doing some type of activity after dinner. You don't have to go to the gym or run miles, that would actually be counter-productive. Do some household chores such as washing the dishes, folding laundry, or taking out the trash.
Skip the Afternoon Nap
You may think that taking an afternoon nap may recharge you for the rest of the day, but the opposite is often true. Napping often leaves your groggy and can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night.
Get Regular Exercise
Engaging in regular exercise can help you sleep better at night. Logging your exercise minutes in the afternoon is most beneficial for better shuteye at night. Be cautious of vigorous activity at night as it may negatively affect your sleep.

Your Evening Routine
Leave your Work at Work
This may be difficult during college, but try to complete your school work as early in the day as possible.
Find Yor Perfect Bedtime
To get the best sleep, get on the same schedule every day. Yes, even on the weekend! You will get the most benefit from sleeping for 7-8 hours each night, and this amount of sleep has been shown to be most beneficial for weight maintenance.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
You drink caffeine to stay awake and boost your energy so consuming caffeine in the evening and even throughout the day can affect the way you sleep at night. If you feel that you must consume caffeine, try to do so before 3 pm. On to alcohol...Even though you may feel that you fall asleep faster and sleep better when you consume alcohol, you are not getting quality sleep. Alcohol throws off your normal sleep cycle causing you to wake up tired and not re-energized.
Avoid Screen-time Before Bed
Computer screens and TVs emit blue light which has been found to suppress melatonin, the hormone that encourages your body to sleep. Try reading a book before bed or writing in a journal. If you find that you are studying at night, try to complete assignments that involve computer use first and save reading for before going to sleep.

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