Ah, summer. You stayed up ‘til 2 a.m. bingeing Netflix, woke up at noon, and somehow survived on iced coffee and vibes. But now… ding ding 🛎️ the school year’s about to smack you in the face like a cold wet towel.
Switching from ‘holiday chaos’ to ‘alarm clock life’ is rough – but if you don’t sort your sleep, you’ll be drooling on your desk by first break. Not cute.
Vicki Beevers, CEO of The Sleep Charity, says it best: “If youngsters were getting less food than they needed to function well, people would be horrified. But when it comes to sleep, we seem to be very accepting of sleep deprivation – which can have serious consequences for mental, physical and emotional health.”
Translation: You wouldn’t skip food for a week, so don’t starve yourself of sleep either.
💤 Tip 1: Sneak Attack Your Bedtime
Don’t go from midnight goblin to 10 p.m. angel in one night. Start nudging your bedtime and wake-up time earlier by 15–20 mins each day. Slow and sneaky wins.
☀️ Tip 2: Touch Grass (Literally)
First thing in the morning, get some daylight on your face. It tells your brain, ‘Yo, we’re awake now.’ Even five minutes outside helps.
🥑 Tip 3: Breakfast = Brain Fuel
Toast, oats, eggs, fruit – doesn’t matter. Just eat something before school so your energy doesn’t flatline mid-lesson.
⏰ Tip 4: Same Time, Every Time
Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. Yes, even weekends. Your body clock loves consistency more than you love scrolling memes at 1 a.m.
🎒 Tip 5: Prep Like a Pro
Bag packed. Clothes ready. Lunch sorted. Do it all the night before so you’re not stress-sprinting in the morning.
📵 Tip 6: Doom Scrolling = Sleep Kryptonite
Put your phone down an hour before bed. It’s keeping your brain switched on! Try reading, music, or doodling instead.
🛏️ Tip 7: Build Your Sleep Cave
Cool, dark, quiet. Bonus points for blackout curtains or a fan. Make your room somewhere your brain wants to sleep.
📝 Tip 8: Brain Dump FTW
If you can’t sleep because your brain is doing the ‘what if’ Olympics, jot it all down in a notebook so you can actually relax.
🏃 Tip 9: Move, Then Snooze
Exercise helps you sleep better — just don’t do intense workouts right before bed unless you like lying awake buzzing like a phone on silent mode.
🗣️ Tip 10: Spill the Tea (Not the Coffee)
If school stuff’s stressing you, talk it out with someone you trust. Carrying it in your head just makes it harder to switch off at night.
TL;DR:
Fix your sleep now and you’ll actually be able to survive first week back without turning into a grumpy zombie. School’s tough – don’t make it harder by running on empty.
