As a student, it is hard to get a good night’s rest, whether that be from coming home late due to a concert, staying up to talk to friends, or studying for a chemistry test, your sleep schedule is constantly affected by the insistent demands of any student. A loss of sleep could potentially cause impaired memory, lack of alertness, and if sleep deprivation continues, serious long-term health problems.

Here are a few tips to foster a sleeping environment in order to improve your overall health:

• Do your homework ahead of time

It’s exhausting to come home from school to immediately invest more time on finishing work. However, if you prioritize school work, you won’t stay up trying to finish it or stay awake thinking about why you didn’t do it. Waking up early to finish homework still affects the amount of sleep you are getting, so do your homework ahead of time to get more hours of sleep.

• Don’t sleep with electronics near you

Turn off your TV and put all electronics as far away as possible. The artificial blue light that emits from your phone delays your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, and suppresses the release of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone, making it difficult to fall asleep. Instead, a good substitute is to read an old-fashioned, print book under a dim lamp light to help you fall asleep.

• Don’t eat past 8 p.m.

Not only is this beneficial for your sleep, but it also improves your health. Try to avoid heavy, rich foods such as wheat, poultry, or dairy within two hours before your bedtime. These foods will cause stomach trouble and heartburn, leaving you tossing and turning at night.

• Exercise

You don’t have to run a mile every day to sleep soundly, but even a light walk for 10 minutes daily can improve your sleep quality tremendously. The results on your health will become more apparent by increasing the rigor and frequency of the physical activity. Regular exercise will also increase the amount of time you are in the deep stages of sleep, a stage of sleep that best contributes to body and health restoration. According to the National Sleep Foundation, exercise may reduce insomnia by decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms.

• Listen to calming music

Listening to soft or mellow music is the only exception to turning on your electronics to fall asleep. It is recommended that you have a playlist set, then place your phone away from reach, so you can doze off while concentrating on the melodic sound. If having your phone or electronic near you is tempting you to use it, then go old-school and burn a CD. Here is a playlist that will help you to rock off to dreamland:

Better Sleep

A playlist featuring Snow Patrol, George Michael, Marvin Gaye, and others

• Write in a journal

This will allow you to document your thoughts and give you a peace of mind. That way, you’re not staying up thinking about what could have happened or what could have been said differently. A research study conducted by A Medium Corporation found that journaling is also known to reduce stress and increase focus. Not only are you going to achieve better sleep quality but also improve your daily habits and life: Killing two birds with one stone.

• Take a shower

Taking a shower will allow you to relax after all the events of that day. The meditative sound of water will cultivate a calm environment, in order to ease a transition into falling asleep. Showering, like journaling, also helps release any pent-up thoughts and stress to allow you to have clarity before going to bed. Furthermore, you will feel fresh and prepared to start your routine on the following day.

• Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy utilizes essential oils from plants to promote health in the body, mind, and spirit. The therapeutic scent balances your sleep schedule by naturally regulating your body to align with your circadian rhythm. Such an alignment will allow you rest throughout the night and be energized in the morning. The best essential oils for managing sleeping habits and promoting health include lavender, chamomile, jasmine, benzoin, neroli, and rose essential oils.

No more keeping yourself up stressing or working and ruining your health little by little. Whenever you are having trouble going to sleep,refer to this list to help you adjust your sleeping habits, getting that quality rest you deserve.