Sleep
Catch Some Zzzzs
Brief naps, 20 minutes or so, can revive you. When you aren’t getting enough sleep, you cannot do your best. Establish good sleeping habits and grab opportunities for power naps when you can.
Source: © Randy Faris/Corbis
Getting adequate sleep is another way to protect yourself from stress. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 63 percent of American adults do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep can lead to anxiety, depression, and academic problems. Researchers at Trent University in Ontario found that students who studied all week but then stayed up late partying on the weekends forgot as much as 30 percent of the material they had learned during the prior week. Try the following suggestions to establish better sleep habits:
- Avoid long daytime naps that last longer than 30 minutes.
- Try reading or listening to a relaxation tape before going to bed.
- Exercise during the day.
- Get your clothes, school materials, and food for the next day together before you go to bed.
- Sleep in the same room and bed every night.
- Set a regular schedule for going to bed and getting up.