Good night sleep - a key to success

Starting at university means lots of change; a new room to sleep in, new people to meet and new places to go and, of course, lots of study. It is no wonder that your rest or sleep can get disrupted from time to time.

Lack of sleep however affects you negatively in many ways. Memory, mental wellbeing and physical health suffer greatly if you don't get proper rest. Especially in periods of high stress, like exam periods or days before assignments deadlines it is important to put sleep near the top of your priorities.

If you find it hard to get to sleep or are not sleeping well, have a look at the NHS website called How to get to sleep. The site explains how important it is to have a regular bedtime routine to help you wind down before trying to sleep. Wind down tips given include writing a 'to do' list for the next day, doing some light yoga stretches and turning off smartphones, tablets or other electronic devices for an hour or so before bed as the light from the screen on these devices can have a negative effect on sleep.

You can also hop over to Sleep Station for more help and ideas. There are lots of useful articles too, including 'How Ramadan can affect your sleep?'; 'Are weighted blankets good for sleep? and 'CBN: A sleep aid or not?'

Remember, working hard and having fun are important parts of university life, but everyone needs to sleep sometimes. In fact, most adults need between 6 and 9 hours of sleep every night - so make sure you are getting enough!