Most sleep advice is written for adults who own curtains and don't have group projects. This is the student version: a realistic wind-down that protects your brain without quitting your social life.
Pick a real bedtime, not an ideal one
If you're consistently in bed at 1am, your bedtime is 1am. Move it earlier by 15 minutes per week, not three hours overnight.
Set a wind-down alarm, not a sleep alarm
60 minutes before bed your phone buzzes once. That's the cue to start slowing down — not the moment you have to be asleep.
Light, then no light
Bright light in the first 10 minutes of your morning. Dim, warm light in the last 60 minutes of your night. This single change rewires sleep more than any app.
Park the phone outside the bedroom
Buy a £10 alarm clock. The phone lives on the kitchen counter. This isn't a moral test — proximity wins willpower fights.
Have a 'late-night version'
Two nights a week, stay out late. Plan for it. The trick isn't perfection — it's a clean recovery the next day.