I had a lot of trouble sleeping last quarter. I would skip morning class sometimes because I was way too tired to get out of bed, then be unable to go to sleep until 2 or 3 AM. Now that I’m at home on winter break, my sleep schedule has returned to a more normal state. My increased energy and well-being during this time piqued my curiosity as to how sleep relates to performance. Here are some tips for optimizing your sleep habits to boost productivity and well-being in college.

Figure out how much sleep you need. I’m sure you’ve heard people say that “the average person needs 8 hours of sleep.” This simply isn’t true. Sleep varies for everyone. Generally, college-age students need 8-9 hours of sleep to function. I personally need about 9.5 to feel prime. Some need more, some less. Getting too much sleep is just as bad as getting too little sleep. If I get more than 10 hours I feel sluggish all day.

Figure out when to sleep. In addition to how much sleep you need, determine the best hours of the night that work for you. If you are a morning person, you may like to go to bed at 11 PM and get up at 8 AM. Some people like to get work done at night and wake up at 11:30. I find that going to bed at midnight and waking up at 9:30 is optimal for me. I try to schedule my earliest class for 10:30 if possible. This gives me enough time to get ready for the day after an optimal night of sleep.

Wind down. One of the reasons I could never fall asleep is because I was always doing something right before I would turn in for the night. The National Sleep Foundation suggests (see “What We Can Do”) developing a relaxing pre-bedtime routine and starting an hour or more before you want to actually be asleep. I suggest something that doesn’t require much physical or mental power, like taking a shower or listening to calming music. I don’t recommend reading right before bedtime because that trains your body to become sleepy as soon as you start reading. This can make studying difficult…

Make sleep a priority. Sleeping is the most important day-to-day activity you do. Don’t skimp on it. If you get a proper sleep, everything else you need to do takes less time because you are at full mental and physical capacity. The brain repairs itself during sleep and the body releases growth hormones, which are essential not only for growing but also muscle and tissue repair.

College is a busy time. Attending class, studying, working, volunteering, participating in clubs, physical exercise and squeezing in some time for fun add up to strenuous days and long nights. If you find yourself falling behind and just can’t concentrate because you are so drained, follow these steps on a daily basis. If done correctly, your all-around well-being will improve dramatically. It worked for me: after analyzing and adjusting my situation, I stopped skipping class, was able to study harder, retain more information, and ended up with a 3.85 GPA for Fall quarter.