Sleep deprivation. Here at Dartmouth, it might be one of the only things more ubiquitous than the EBA's boxes littered throughout campus at 2 a.m. And given the typical student's responsibilities in both the academic and extracurricular realm, it's no secret that most of us are still holding out for a Time Turner from the Ministry of Magic in order to make the days just a little bit longer. But if you still haven't figured out why you keep waking up in a cold sweat at 4 a.m. in the 1902 room, check out these tips to make you more productive during the day and sleep better at night:
10) Use your bed for sleeping: You've heard this one a million times, but somehow, it still hasn't deterred you from doing that stat problem set whilst curled up in your goose down comforter with some crackers and a bottle of Vitamin Water. Find an alternative study space otherwise, you will continue to associate your bed with studying and will have a harder time falling asleep at night.
9) Take naps: Sometimes, even the prospect of having to wake up at 7:30 for French drill won't deter you going out on Monday night and consuming a few too many margs. Try to take naps throughout the day, but don't sleep for too long or you'll be in for a restless night.
8) Don't let yourself sleep in too late on weekends: as The Lonely Island so eloquently quipped, everyone loves a Lazy Sunday. Still, don't let yourself oversleep on the weekends, as not even the allegedly crazy delicious combination of Mr. Pibb and Red Vines will be able to get you to wake up at 8 a.m. on Monday after a weekend of 12+ hours of sleep a night.
7) Stay hydrated: And by hydrated, I do not mean guzzling tanks of coffee and energy drinks to get you through the night before an econ midterm. Drink lots of water during the day and avoid drinks that will make you crash later on. And remember, just because it has a name like "Brain TonIQ" does not mean it will magically teach you how to solve differential equations.
6) Exercise often: According a University of California San Diego study, daily exercise five to six hours before going to bed helps people sleep. Plus, you never know hottie-from-geography might just be on the bike next to you. Just make sure you bring a towel no one likes a wet post-workout hug.
5) Set a bedtime for yourself and actually follow it: No clever pun necessary here. It pretty simple forcing yourself to go to bed at a certain time, even if you don't have an early class, will make you more productive earlier on in the day.
4) Eat energy-boosting foods: Trade the EBA's and fried foods for eats like whole grains, bananas, oats, salmon and OJ. They will keep you awake and productive during the day so you don't have to stay up all night.
3) Be smart about your schedule: Science with a lab plus Introductory Language means four plus hours of drill and lab and little down time. A 10, 11, and 12, will make you that kid in Art History whose stomach's grumbling makes it hard to hear the professor lecture. Bottom line, take classes that are well balanced and give you adequate down time you'll be surprised by how much sleep you can save.
2) Work toward rewards: One of the best ways to be productive and ensure you don't end up pulling an all-nighter is to set a reward for yourself (i.e. tell yourself that as soon as you get two readings done, you can go out for a little or watch your favorite movie). If you're like me and waste more time on the DDS web site than on Facebook, you can use the thought of Salad-as-a-Pizza at Home Plate or a steaming cup of Collis soup to motivate you to be efficient before lunch or dinnertime so you have less to do at night.
1) Make the most of your spare time: We know you're busy. From late-night rehearsals to x-hours to that dance class you had to take senior Spring because you just realized Dartmouth has PE requirements, it's easy to put everything off until the evening. Even if you only have 20 minutes between classes, use them to get the first half of a reading done or to quickly finish a French worksheet. You'll be thankful when you finally hit Sanborn Library at 11 p.m. and realize you only have 15 as opposed to 40 pages of reading and one less mindless exercise to do.
