8.5 The Sleep Benefits of Establishing a Consistent Daily Routine

Social rhythms like meal times and work schedules appear to have important implications for sleep. One study found that college students who maintained a more consistent pattern of daily activities—including waking, meal, and work times—had better sleep compared to those with irregular schedules. Students with more varied schedules day to day were more likely to experience disturbed sleep. Further, the good sleepers in this study—as determined by their score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index—got out of bed earlier, consumed their first beverage of the day earlier, went outside for the first time earlier, and went to bed earlier than did the poor sleepers (Carney et al., 2006). We suggest trying to create a consistent daily routine, including times you go to sleep, get up, eat, and engage in physical activity. One way to do this, even if your classes and commitments don’t all start early in the day, is to routinely get up around the same time every day and find ways to use the time before these commitments in a productive way.

Sleep duration, and the optimal timing for sleep varies from person-to-person. As a result, your routine might look very different from your peers, as well as your preferences for when you feel most awake and productive. Planning your schedule around your sleep preferences will help optimize your productivity throughout the day:

• If you know you aren’t a morning person and have the option of taking a class that meets at either 8 am or 2 pm, use your sleep preferences to guide your decision toward the afternoon option.
• Plan your studying and class time around the hours you feel most alert and active—if you tend to start to feel drowsy around 9 pm, don’t start homework at 8:30 pm.
• If possible, find jobs that schedule your work hours in alignment with your sleep preferences; if mornings are a struggle, perhaps a 5 am barista position won’t set you up for a successful work attendance record.

Recognize your natural preferences and work with them rather than fighting them.