The average person sleeps for a third of their entire life. This statement alone helps us realise the importance of sleep in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and optimising our productivity.

However, let’s be honest, being an academic high-achiever in the present times implies that the one thing you are definitely cutting short on is sleep. 

In fact, I have come across students who boast of their ability to stay operational the whole day with as little as two to three hours of sleep every night. 

While this may seem quite impressive at first, such habits are extremely debilitating in the long term, and will badly affect everything from your physical and mental health, to your academic performance, longevity, immunity, and so much more. 

In such a case, students need to seek a middle ground and establish ideal sleeping habits. Aim for at least 5-6 hours of sleep every night. Less hours than that might not show any immediate effects, but they may ultimately result in consistent headaches and lack of focus, thus decreasing your overall productivity. On the other hand, for the general population, sleeping for more than 10 hours is just…a waste of time? 

Now that you have the hours set, the next thing that you must do is to optimise the quality of sleep that you get. The activities that you do in the hours leading up to your bedtime play an important role in determining the quality of your sleep, thereby indirectly setting the tone for your next day as well. 

With that in mind, read on to find out how you can not only have a good night’s sleep but also set yourself up for an even more productive tomorrow. 

Change your mindset

The general mindset regarding sleep is more based on thinking of it as a hindrance instead of a blessing.

If you are a busy student who wants good grades, you sacrifice sleep, because the only way to become a good student is to go to bed late and wake up earlier, right? Not exactly.

By now you know how crucial sleep is for your overall performance, so change the self-narrative you have regarding it. Prioritise sleep just as you would prioritise healthy food, regular physical movement, or any other important thing.

For the general population, being short on sleep does not show any extreme immediate results, so a day or two is fine. But you should not make a habit out of it if you don’t wish to jeopardise your long term health.  

Have a consistent sleep schedule

I cannot stress this enough, but having a consistent sleep schedule does wonders for you.

As your body gets accustomed to a routine, you will find yourself maintaining healthy energy levels throughout the day, only to feel the fatigue of a productive day setting in just an hour or a half before your bedtime. That would be your body signalling you to wind down and get ready for bed. 

The same goes for waking up at a fixed time every morning. As your body gets accustomed to waking up at the same hour everyday, it becomes easier for you to avoid sleeping in, which I know doesn’t exactly sound exciting but oh well.

An important point to consider is that while it is recommended to go to sleep and to wake up at fixed times, it is not always realistic to do so. Each day brings a different set of challenges with itself. And you should be ready to adapt accordingly. It is ideal to stick to fixed bedtimes for as many days of the week as you can, but be compassionate with yourself when you skip a day or two.

Go device free

You knew this was coming, right? 

Staying away from devices ensures that your brain gets the proper wind down period it needs before you fall asleep.

Moreover, to simplify some medical jargon, going device free even half an hour before bed optimises melatonin production, which in turn improves the quality of your sleep-wake cycle. The benefits compound, and with time it becomes easier for you to fall asleep and to wake up at your designated times.

Well, at least turn off the social media notifications and read an e-book or listen to some relaxing tunes…

Take a walk

Moderate exercise, like an evening walk, can help you fall asleep faster. 

There are numerous studies on the Internet that recommend walks, low-intensity cycling sessions, full-body stretches, and other mild exercises in the evenings to set in a feeling of general tiredness before bedtime. This helps you wind down properly, thus increasing your chances of experiencing deep sleep alongside alleviating general stress and improving your overall mood.

That being said, try this hack for yourself and see whether it helps you in optimising your sleep quality.

Plan for the next day

Planning for the next day is a very popular productivity hack that has many advantages for people from all walks of life.

A very prominent advantage is that you get to draft a to-do list for tomorrow while all the incomplete tasks from today are still fresh in your mind. Along with that, planning your day the night before significantly reduces any emotional on-the-spot decisions and helps you utilise the high energy levels that most people experience in the first few working hours. Plus, checking off the completed tasks from the list motivates us to keep going, thereby indirectly enhancing our productivity.

What you do the day before matters just as much as what you do each morning. So, I encourage you to dedicate a mere two to three minutes of your night to drafting a to-do list for tomorrow.

Learn something

Activities like reading a book, journaling, listening to a podcast or an audiobook are some incredibly useful things to do while you get ready for sleep.

Each of these activities is a good way to learn more about something or the other. Some books and podcasts help you learn more about the world that you live in, whereas others help you better understand the world that you hold within yourself. Similarly, journaling is a popular mindfulness practice that helps us with introspection. Writing entries on prompts related to shadow work, affirmations, or gratitude lists have long lasting positive effects on our psyche. 

You can also opt for reading your syllabus books or going through the reference contents recommended by your teachers before going to sleep. Skim through the new topics that the professor is going to teach the next day. This simple activity should boost your interest as well as your comprehension abilities in real time classes.

Alongside learning valuable insights, these activities also help you wind down for sleep. A popular 2009 study by the University of Sussex aptly showed how activities like reading ease muscle tension, slow down the heart rate, and reduce stress levels significantly. Some of the best and most successful people that we know practise at least one if not more of them as a part of their night routine. Go ahead and join the cadre. 

Optimise your environment

Sleeping for some is a simple activity. Hitting the hay and passing into slumberland is a matter of minutes for them. On the other hand, there are people who have more fine needs. A mattress that is neither too soft nor too hard, a room that is completely dark, a plethora of pillows to clutch at, there’s much more that they need for a good night’s rest. 

Both of them are perfectly justified for their chosen methods.

Your sleep is deeply personal to you. Optimise your bedroom for the best sleeping conditions for yourself. Experiment and deduce what works best for you. Remember that the quality of your sleep tonight affects your productivity tomorrow. 

Focused breaths

I am a big fan of mindfulness practices. Breathwork, centering exercises, visualizations, meditations, brain wave states, body scans, there’s so much to explore and so many areas of your life that you can revolutionize with the appropriate mindfulness practices. Meditation is one such practice that can help you improve your sleep quality.

According to me, meditation, at its core, stands for mindfulness. Not “silencing” your mind, not reaching an alternative state of being, not gaining enlightenment overnight, but being mindful about what you are experiencing in the here and now. And one of the best ways of doing this is by focusing your breaths. 

As you lay in your bed, take in relaxed deep breaths. Be aware of each breath, feel the air as it makes its way through your nose, as it expands your chest and belly, and rushes out of your body. If you feel your mind wandering, bring your focus back to your breaths. Be gentle with yourself, and repeat it for as many times as you can.

You will feel much more relaxed and lighter than before.

Remember your goals 

Going to bed at a fixed time does not automatically ensure immediate sleep, especially during the first few days. This is relatively normal.

Now that you have put your devices away and completed a minute or two of focused breathing, instead of blankly staring at the dark ceiling, gently think about your goals for life. Think of a few potential problems that might arise on your journey to achieving those goals, and brainstorm about the ways in which you will handle them. Think about how you will feel when you achieve those goals ultimately. 

Remember to keep your thoughts gentle and relaxed. Thinking of your goals aggressively or with apprehension might take you down the wrong road of anxiety and overthinking. 

You can think of this as another form of visualization meditation wherein your brain is more receptive to creative thoughts and positive reinforcement as you transition from awake to asleep. I encourage you to learn more about this by doing your own research on brainwave states and frequencies.

Listen to relaxing music

Speaking for myself, box breathing while listening to soothing beats is one of my favourite things to do before bed. 

Our brain perceives the music we hear as electrical signals instead of mere sound waves. As the brain interprets these signals, a series of effects are brought into play ranging from reduced cortisol levels to increased dopamine, decreased anxiety, and reduced muscle tension. Relaxing music even helps soothe the autonomic nervous system, which in turn soothes your entire body. Music also adds a positive touch to the end of your day. 

Read this short article by the Sleep Foundation as a beginner level introduction to the positive effects that relaxing music has on the quality of your sleep. 

Indulge in skin care

Being the largest and outermost organ of our body, the skin goes through a lot throughout the day. Which is why having a night skin care routine is so important for our body.

Aid your skin’s natural overnight repair and rejuvenation process with skin care processes as simple as CTM (cleanse, tone, moisturize). There’s so much more such as serums, body lotions, eye creams, face masks, and lip balms, that you can add to your routine. Recognize your skin type and concerns so that you can address them accordingly. This supports cell repair, enhances product absorption, improves the morning-after glow, and compounds with time for long-term benefits.

For the general population, deep and healthy sleep is a feasible reality. Remember that for all the above tips, carrying them out “most of the days” is more important than carrying them out “all of the days”. Start slow and stay consistent to see the most satisfying results.