—Houston, TX
After a long summer break, transitioning back into school can be difficult. Many students have to wake up much earlier and be more productive than during the summer. How can students go into the upcoming school year more smoothly?
Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important factors in keeping our bodies healthy. Getting enough sleep can prevent health issues, reduce stress, and improve performance in school. Despite these obvious benefits, about 73% of high school students are sleep deprived. For these students, summer can be an effective and less stressful time to improve bad sleep habits.
In order to fix poor sleeping habits, consistency is key. Many doctors recommend avoiding sleeping in and napping during the day. Moving bedtime ahead by 15 minutes every other night, making it harder to fall asleep at a drastically different time, can also prove very effective. By going to bed and waking up earlier over an extended period of time, the sleep schedule can be gradually fixed.
Productivity and Good Habits
Another key to success in the upcoming school year is starting with productive study habits. Many students procrastinate during the school year because of overwhelming tasks. This can be prevented by splitting work into chunks and taking short breaks. Another way to stay motivated is to set small goals and rewards for accomplishing them. For example, students could reward themselves with a snack after completing an assignment, or with a short video after reading a few chapters of a book. This reward system releases dopamine, increasing motivation to study in the future. Students can form these habits before the school year starts using their summer assignments, making these habits easier to continue throughout the school year.
School is coming soon, so it is important to start the year off strong with good sleep and study habits!
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