Tips on Getting Good Sleep!

Congratulations on making it past the halfway point of the semester! Hopefully, many of you have finished your midterm exams and can take a breather after some stressful weeks. That being said, we here at the Honesty Hour Podcast would like to inform your, our readers, on how to develop healthy sleep habits!

Why is sleep so important?

Although research is still being done on the purpose of sleep, we know that there are many benefits to our mental and physical well-being that come from sleep. Sleep helps us retain what we learned during the day, it helps prevent depression, lowers the risk of heart disease, and betters our productivity and concentration. Despite sleep’s obvious benefits, many people do not get enough of it. 3 out of 5 Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep nightly and even have trouble falling asleep, and 10% of high school students receive 5 hours of sleep per night.

Tips for Getting Good Sleep:

• Consume dairy products

• Avoid artificial sweeteners, food additives, and caffeine within six hours of bedtime

• Keep to a regular bedtime

• Avoid exercise within four hours of bedtime

• Sleep in absolute darkness (use an eye cover if necessary)

• Maintain quiet (use earplugs if necessary)

• Do not take naps after 3 pm

• Avoid beans, raw onions, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), and spicy foods before bedtime

• Take melatonin pills

Getting Quality Sleep:

• Avoid alcohol within three hours of bedtime, and replace each ounce of alcohol with eight ounces of water

• Plan sleep according to sleep cycles and circadian rhythms

• Do aerobic exercise regularly, but not close to bedtime

Getting Back to Sleep

• Write down what’s on your mind

• Read something unexciting

• Drink warm milk with honey

With half of the semester left to go, we hope these tips and advice will help you develop a healthier sleep schedule and help you strive during the semester!

-Ethan Wang, Honesty Hour Content Creator