As busy college students, we’ve probably all heard cliche phrases to encourage us to sleep more. For example, “sleep is the best medicine” or “get enough sleep, and everything else will fall into place,” but with endless assignments, late-night entertainment, and the influence of social media, quality sleep often takes a backseat, despite its crucial role in enhanced memory, growth, mood, and immunity. Therefore, by understanding and integrating scientifically-backed ways of improving sleep into our daily routine, we can maximize our days and feel happier.

Sleep is a biological necessity that is divided into two main categories: REM (Rapid Eye Movement), and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement). Non-rapid Eye Movement is further divided into three stages: stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3. Sleep cycles progress in the order of stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, a return to stage 2, and then REM sleep. This sequence of stages usually repeats four to five times per night, with each cycle lasting from 90 to 110 minutes. Interestingly, approximately 75% of our sleep occurs within the non-rapid eye movement stages.

Stage 1 - (5% of sleep)

This phase is our transition away from daytime wakefulness towards sleep, and so our brainwaves (electrical brain impulses) slow. Our muscles also relax (with occasional twitches) and our breathing slows down

Stage 2 - (45% of sleep)

This phase involves further muscle relaxation with a drop in body temperature as well as heart and breathing rates. Although brain activity generally decreases, brief bursts of neuronal activity known as sleep spindles occur with many studies highlighting these spindles’ essential role in memory consolidation.

Stage 3 - (25% of sleep)

This is the deepest sleep phase and the most difficult to awaken from. Additionally, heart and breathing rates are at their lowest level. This phase is associated with tissue repair and regrowth, muscle and bone growth, as well as immune system strengthening. 

REM - (25% of sleep)

This phase usually occurs 90 minutes into sleep and involves rapid eye movements while our eyes are closed. The mean frequency of this eye movement measured in 20 healthy, young men was 15.9 times per minute. Brain wave activity aligns to levels close to wakefulness and most of our dreaming occurs during this phase. REM sleep is associated with memory storage, mood balancing, and learning.

Now that we understand sleep and its numerous health benefits, let's highlight some key, practical advice for improving sleep!

1. Limit caffeine before bedtime: A systematic review and analysis of 24 studies on the links between caffeine and sleep suggested that to avoid reductions in our sleep time, coffee (107 mg of caffeine per 250 mL) should be drunk at least 8.8 hours before bedtime.

2. Get regular exercise: A systematic review and analysis of 23 studies showed regular exercise’s positive effects on sleep quality and how long it takes for you to fall asleep. However, high-intensity exercise close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep, therefore, regular moderate exercise is recommended.

3. Don’t use mobile phones at bedtime: Studies on the effect of mobile phone use on sleep have shown that using mobile phones at bedtime negatively affects sleep quality and increases the time it takes for users to fall asleep.

To unlock our full potential, let's prioritize sleep tonight—our future selves will thank us with more energy, focus, and success!