Research
According to recent research, student athletes need 9-10 hours of sleep each night. Only 15% of teens report that they get an average of 8 1/2 hours of sleep each night, half an hour below the minimum they need. Many teenagers stay up late and get minimal amounts of sleep during the week, and then oversleep on the weekends, throwing off their biological clock and continuing to give them inefficient rest. During my research I found a few tips for more efficient sleep:
1. Plan and stick to a sleep schedule- going to bed and getting up at the same time every day can create a helpful pattern that leads to a better rested body and decreases chances of insomnia and other sleeping disorders 2. Cut off caffeine after 2 pm- caffeine stays in your system for 8 hours, so drinking a latte after dinner to help you stay awake to study can prevent you from feeling tired and falling asleep, which throws off your biological clock 3. Keep the room cool- by setting the temperature in your bedroom at a cool 65 degrees, you can let your body relax and be better rested 4. Eliminate all light sources- though many like to wake up to the sun, our eyelids are only so thick, and even the smallest amount of light can disturb our sleep. 5. No electronics one hour before bedtime 6. Prep for the next day before in order to relieve stress |