Skip to content
Liv Student
  • Experience
  • AboutExpand
    • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • MYLIV LOGINExpand
    • Sheffield
    • Belfast
    • Dublin
    • Portugal
    • Spain
  • Summer StaysExpand
    • Sheffield
    • Belfast
    • Dublin
  • Book Your LocationExpand
    • UKExpand
      • Sheffield
      • Belfast
    • IrelandExpand
      • Dublin
    • SpainExpand
      • Barcelona 22@
      • BARCELONA SARRIÁ
      • Granada
      • Seville
    • PortugalExpand
      • PORTO POLO UNIVERSITARIO
      • PORTO CAMPUS STREET
  • EnglishExpand
    • 中文
Liv Student

Home » Blog

The power of sleep: Why we need it and how to get it

  • November 3, 2021
  • Blog

How much sleep do you really need?

On average, adults need roughly eight hours of sleep per night. However, it’s important to listen to your body, so when you wake up feeling your best, track how many hours of sleep you had or remember your nighttime routine. This way you can recreate what works best for you.

Sleep isn’t just about the number of hours of shuteye we get each night, but the quality of sleep we get can have a significant impact on our overall health.  Check out insights from the Togetherall article’s Sleep Talk and Sleep easier to find out more.

The stages of sleep

Sleep happens in a series of recurring sleep stages. Each stage plays a part in restoring us and preparing us for the day ahead.

Stages of sleep:

  1. Drowsiness—we are feeling tired and ready to slip into slumber
  2. Deep restorative sleep (non-dreaming deep sleep)
  3. Alert stages (non-dreaming light sleep)
  4. Dreaming stages (REM sleep)

Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes and repeats four to six times over the course of a night.

For good quality sleep, these stages repeat uninterrupted. But if you find yourself stressed, anxious, or not sleeping well, then you may wake and interrupt these cycles, which can leave you tired and irritated the next day.

Our body needs all the stages of sleep to feel our best. Deep sleep renews the body and helps us feel energised the next day. It also boosts our immune system and is imperative for our growth and development. Deep sleep also secretes a growth hormone that helps the body repair itself.

REM or dreaming sleep renews our mind. It allows our brain to process and bring together what we have learned in the day and helps strengthen our memory. REM sleep also helps boost our mood by replenishing our brain’s chemical messengers.

A huge impact on our sleep health? Light and screens

Screens have a significant effect on our sleep because the light is one of the most powerful regulators of our internal body clock. Our brains normally secrete more melatonin when darkness falls, making us tired and ready for sleep, but with TVs, tablets, laptops, and cell phones, we are getting more light at night, preventing melatonin production making us less drowsy and unable to fall asleep at a normal time.

Other factors that can prevent quality sleep:

  • Stressful events of the day
  • Difficult life situations, such as losing a loved one
  • Worrying about the school, relationships, Covid-19, etc.
  • Anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress
  • Poor physical health or side effects of medications
  • Use of stimulants or lifestyle habits that work against your internal clock

How to improve sleep:

We may try to combat tiredness with naps, coffee, and alcohol, but these actually disrupt our sleep even further.

Lifestyle changes or improving your ‘sleep hygiene can help you get back on track after sleepless nights or waking up feeling tired.

Think about the barriers that prevent you from having good quality sleep. Is it your study schedule? Your social life? Daily stressors that prevent you from relaxing? Try some of these tips to work on improving your sleep:

  • Create a schedule to make sleep a priority and prevent you from staying up late. Togetherall has a goal-setting guide to help you keep on track. You could also use the journal tool to create a priority list with sleeping being at the top.
  • Avoid screen time while in bed. The blue light from your devices blocks melatonin, preventing us from getting tired. Try using laptops or phones at a table or desk and watching TV on the couch and not in bed.
  • Cut down on caffeine later in the day. Ideally, cut out caffeine eight hours before bed.
  • Nicotine and alcohol are stimulants that can prevent us from feeling tired and sleeping. Keep this in mind as you assess your sleep hygiene.

Sleep is imperative to our physical and mental health. We need proper sleep to feel refreshed to take on the day. If you find yourself struggling with sleep, Togetherall has courses and resources to help you better understand your relationship with sleep so you can feel better and handle everything life throws your way.

Togetherall offers a safe and anonymous community where people can connect to share their experiences and get (or give) the support they need. Access to the Togetherall platform is free and members of the community are kept safe by mental health professionals 24/7.

PrevPreviousThe Ultimate Student Guide to Sheffield 2021
NextIs it the most wonderful time of the year? How to cope with complicated feelings during the holidays.Next
Recent Posts
  • The Ultimate Student Guide to Belfast 2025
  • The Ultimate Student Guide to Dublin 2025
  • The Ultimate Student Guide to Sheffield 2025
Archives
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • May 2023
  • August 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • January 2021
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • UNITED KINGDOM
LIV Student Sheffield
LIV Student Belfast
  • IRELAND
LIV Student Dublin
  • SPAIN
LIV Student Barcelona 22@
LIV Student Barcelona Sarriá
LIV Student Granada
LIV Student Seville
  • PORTUGAL
LIV Student Porto University
Center LIV Student Porto Campus Street
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Corporate
  • About
  • Blog
  • FAQ
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Corporate
  • About
  • Blog
  • FAQ
Copyright © LIV Student 2025

Live your best student life with Liv Student

Enter your email below to receive your copy of the
Liv Student Brochure.

No thanks. I’m not interested.
Download Brochure
  • Experience
  • About
    • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • MYLIV LOGIN
    • Sheffield
    • Belfast
    • Dublin
    • Portugal
    • Spain
  • Summer Stays
    • Sheffield
    • Belfast
    • Dublin
  • Book Your Location
    • UK
      • Sheffield
      • Belfast
    • Ireland
      • Dublin
    • Spain
      • Barcelona 22@
      • BARCELONA SARRIÁ
      • Granada
      • Seville
    • Portugal
      • PORTO POLO UNIVERSITARIO
      • PORTO CAMPUS STREET
  • English
    • 中文