As a student, you know that there are endless demands on your time and energy. There’s a culture of glamorizing all-nighters, caffeine, and sleep deprivation in schools and universities, but even though sleep may feel optional, there’s more evidence than ever to show that healthy sleeping habits are the #1 tool in your arsenal for getting good grades, staying healthy, and living a fulfilling life overall. Read on for details on how to set a healthy sleep schedule and why it’s critically important for students!

How Much Sleep Do Students Really Need?

Everyone’s sleep needs are different, but studies show that teens and young adults usually need 9 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. That’s actually more than is recommended for young children, and we all know to respect a kindergartener’s nap time!

A good way to determine the exact amount of sleep your body needs is to allow yourself to fall asleep and wake up naturally for a week, without alarm clocks or excessive stimulation before bed. (Try and go to bed at the same time every night.) After a few days of adjustment, you should naturally start to wake up a set number of hours after going to sleep. Then, try and schedule that same amount of sleep every night going forward.

For Maximum Benefit, Sleep Consistently

Many students believe they can simply catch up on sleep during weekends or breaks if they don’t get enough during busy weeks or exams, but evidence is mounting that sleep doesn’t work that way. “Sleep debt” is a real thing, but it can’t be repaid all at once: according to Harvard Health, it can take weeks to fully “repay” your brain for all that lost sleep, and the best way to do it is to maintain a sleep schedule that allows you an extra hour or two of sleep a night, not to sleep in till late in the afternoon after a stressful night of studying before returning to a sleep-deprived schedule.

Sleep Without Distractions

We all know it’s a bad idea to fall asleep with our smartphones in hand, but few of us actually manage to unplug before bed. This is especially hard for students, who often schedule homework and studying right up till bedtime. Science says that there is good news and bad news about this. The good news is that studying before bed can help you retain information better, according to Psychology Today. The bad news is that, according to HealthLine, the “blue light” of computer and phone screens both makes it harder to fall asleep and disturbs the quality of our sleep.

To avoid these negative effects, try and schedule the homework you don’t have to do on a screen, like reading a textbook or doing exercises in a notebook, closest to bedtime. If you simply can’t avoid using your phone or computer before bed, try using a blue light filter, like the Night Shift feature available on MacBooks.

Conclusion

It isn’t easy to get your sleep back on track, but by keeping the benefits in mind–less stress, better grades, better health, and more–you, too, can benefit from reclaiming a good night’s sleep!

Author Bio:  Lucy Miller is a nutrition student, marathon runner, and a passionate writer. She contributes on a number of blog sharing useful health tips from her research as a nutrition student.