Managing your time when you Study Abroad
Volume 2: Sleeping
Sleeping poorly is one of the biggest stereotypes with students. Put together nightlife with hard work and attending classes and numbers barely add up. That is why the motto of this series, “Study, Eat, Sleep, Repeat”. But it is so important to have nice sleep and rest! These are some of the benefits of a regular and generous sleeping schedule.
1 – Sleeping well puts you on a better mood.
Studies have shown that having a regular sleep schedule has you feeling emotionally better. This can be the key to your future success, by learning to stay motivated and focused throughout your career. If you are thinking about embarking in this new “schedule” adventure, remember that your body will get used to waking up at the same time every day after 21 days. This means, after three weeks of strange feelings you will benefit from better humor.
2 – Sleeping correctly can help regulate your sugar levels and improve your digestion.
We mostly live in a frenzied race, hoping that our body will get along with our lack of schedule and diet. But as important as it is to keep a steady diet, it is to regulate sleep. When you leave enough time to digest your dinner before you lay down, and when you fast for some time after you wake up, you are doing a favor to your stomach. Then, while you sleep, your body can process nutrients better: if you are regular, you will control the hormone and enzyme flow that dissolve sugar and other components better. This will make you feel healthy and joyful.
3 – Sleeping steadily helps your brain retain information better in the mid and long-term memory.
Several studies have shown that, after you study some content, the following 12 hours are crucial: your brain will catalog information better in the medium and long-term if you are sleeping (obviously, since your brain will not be busy processing other information). So, in order to maximize your studying habits, it is very important to sleep well after studying, and before an exam.
4 – You can correct your sleeping schedule by waking up early on weekends.
There is nothing worse than the Sunday insomnia: having to sleep early as to wake up on Monday, but not being at all tired. That is caused by the “jetlag” of going late to bed and waking up early. Our recommendation: partying on Friday, but then having a calm Saturday and waking up earlier on Sunday. Maybe, you will find this is the first step to making Mondays “less terrible”.
Give yourself the pleasure of good sleep.
Seven and a half hours is a magic number since sleep cycles last for approximately one and a half hour. And do not forget to have a comfortable mattress and ventilated sheets. It will help your rest and, therefore, improve your student life. After all… you only Study Abroad once!
