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How to get your sleep schedule back on track after break

Sep 13, 2023

analog clock and calendar with sticky notes against blue background | how to fix your sleep schedule

Read time: 9 min

Key points

Sleep schedules and bedtime routines can help you get better quality sleep during the school year.
Getting longer nights of higher-quality sleep will help you academically, emotionally, and physically.
A long school break may have knocked you off your sleep schedule, but there are ways to get back on track.

It’s the start of a new semester—you’re probably already on top of planning your class schedule, buying textbooks, and restocking your study snack drawer. But what about your sleep?

Maintaining a regular sleep schedule—going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day—is incredibly helpful during the school year, but it can be hard to resist the temptation to stay up late and sleep in over the break. In a recent CampusWell survey of almost 3,000 students, nearly a quarter said that the summer break screwed up their sleep routine, while almost half saw a slight change. Getting back into your sleep schedule at the start of the semester is just as important to your academic success as studying and attending classes.

Why sleep schedules are important

By sticking to a sleep schedule, you commit to getting enough sleep each night and will eventually have an easier time falling asleep and waking up. “Sleep routines act like cues for the human circadian rhythm [to] help the body know where it stands,” says Dr. Nate Watson, professor of neurology and director of the UW Medicine Sleep Center at the University of Washington in Seattle. A sleep schedule can help your body know when it’s time to go to sleep so you’ll zonk out faster, he explains. More importantly, consistent sleep affects everything from your academic performance and mood to your metabolism and overall health. Setting up and sticking to a sleep schedule now can prevent you from having serious sleep problems later, says Dr. Kimberly Cote, director of Brock University’s sleep research laboratory in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

How to get back into a sleep routine

“Ideally, good sleep habits and routines don’t vary according to time of year or holidays,” says Dr. Watson. But, in reality, we know that can be tricky. Over the break, maybe you took advantage of not needing to set an alarm and slept much later than normal. Or perhaps you crawled into bed later than you would have if you’d had, say, an early morning class the next day. Some of you might have even switched time zones.

So how do you get back on track?

1. Shift your schedule by 30-minute increments

Don’t try to make the jump back to a school-friendly bedtime all at once—you’ll likely end up lying awake, frustrated for hours, and groggy the next morning. Instead, spend one or two weeks easing your way back to morning person status by going to bed 30 minutes earlier and waking up 30 minutes earlier each day until you hit your desired sleep/wake times.

2. Stick to your new sleep schedule—even on the weekends

I know—this isn’t what you want to hear. Sleeping in a little bit is okay, but drastically changing your sleep schedule on Saturday and Sunday will disrupt your circadian clock, making it harder to stay on schedule during the week. That said, after following a sleep schedule for a while, you may find you get enough rest during the week that you don’t need a weekend slumber party for one.

3. Set your screens aside

Staring at a screen before bed can disrupt your sleep—the blue light from your phone or TV messes with your body’s natural sleep hormone, melatonin. Once school starts again, try going screen-free for half an hour to an hour before bed.

“One of the best things I’ve tried is journaling before bed,” says Maggie S., a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “I turn off my phone, get in bed, and write for half an hour. If you stick to it, the results are amazing.”

4. Share your schedule with the people you live with

If you have to start getting up at the crack of dawn because of an early class or internship, let the people you live with know that you’ll be going to bed earlier now. You don’t necessarily have to ask for full-on quiet hours, but make sure they know you’d appreciate it if they kept the noise level low. (Pro tip: Invest in ear plugs and a good eye mask.)

Never had a sleep schedule? Here’s how to make one

If your current sleep schedule consists of going from “whenever I pass out” to hitting snooze on your fifth alarm in the morning, now is the perfect time to start establishing more consistent sleep hygiene habits. Here’s how:

Step 1: Determine the best bedtime for you

Figure out what time you need to get up and work backward to find an appropriate bedtime. Experts say that adults need seven to nine hours for a full night’s rest. So if you need to be up at 7 a.m. to make it to your first class, set a bedtime goal of 11 p.m.

Step 2: Turn your room into a sleep sanctuary

From the decor you choose to your room’s temperature, you’ll want your bedroom to be a true sleep sanctuary. And true sanctuaries are places without stress, right? “Try to avoid using your bed [to study]. Work from a desk, library, or coffee shop whenever possible,” says Dr. Roxanne Prichard, a professor of neuroscience and psychology and director of the Center for College Sleep at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Step 3: Establish a relaxing bedtime routine

All you need is 15 minutes to wind down before bed, says Dr. Cote. There are lots of things you can do before bed to help you sleep better. Pick the ones that work best for you and build these into a routine you follow each evening—the familiar steps will help your mind transition into “bedtime” mode.

A few bedtime steps you can try are:

Put your phone on Do Not Disturb.*
Try a few minutes of stretching, or listen to a guided meditation.
If you’re still not sleepy, read in bed—just make sure it’s not on your phone.

*If there are people whose calls and texts you absolutely need to receive at all hours—for example, if you’re an RA on call, or a member of your family has health issues—you can set those contacts as favorites that will be allowed to come through when your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode.

Step 4: Stick to the schedule as much as possible

Follow the above steps every night, even on the weekends. You’ll notice an improvement in your quality and length of sleep, and you’ll feel more awake during the day. If you have trouble sticking to a schedule, try using a sleep cycle app.

Remember that it’s OK if you miss a day or two—studying for exams and having a social life are bound to keep you up late sometimes. And that’s all right. “Everybody has a bad night of sleep from time to time,” Dr. Watson says, “but if you stick with your healthy sleep habits, these few bumps in the road will have no real consequences.”