Now that there’s no definite beginning and end to the school day (and getting up at 6am is definitely not an option), it can be hard to get to bed on time. Or at all. 

While sleeping in till noon during quarantine sounds great, there are some long term health effects that a skewed sleep schedule can cause. Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.

Not to mention how ‘blah’ you feel for the rest of the day, and how hard it will be to get back to normal once school starts up again.

But, never fear. Change is possible. Here are some tips to get your sweet, sweet slumber schedule going again. 

• Go to sleep at the same time each night, try to be consistent

  • Pick a reasonable time (not 2:00 in the morning!) and schedule your to-do list around it

• Avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before going to bed

  • Read a book! Draw! Bake! Resist the temptation to watch TikTok for eight hours straight!

• Avoid naps after 3pm

  • Taking a nap that late can keep you wide awake for a long while after bedtime. I speak from experience.

• Stay away from caffeine and sugar late in the day

  • You don’t need that late night frappuccino.  

• Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature

  • Tell your brother to turn down his video games and set your phone on Do Not Disturb. It’s self-care time.