Studying Online;Succeeding through Distance Learning at University

216 Coping online 
is a problem. In fact, research shows that if a student’s sleep is 
regularly disturbed, they get lower marks overall (Hershner and 
Chervin, 2014). In other words, poor sleep can reduce your ability 
to get a good degree. To make sure that you get the best marks 
possible, you need to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep on a 
regular basis. 
To ensure you sleep well, minimising the impact of blue light is 
helpful. Tis is because the accumulation of repeated amounts of 
blue light fools your brain into believing it is daytime. As a result, 
the hormonal changes that prepare your body for sleep tend not to 
happen when you are subject to large amounts of blue light. When 
you go to bed, your brain still thinks it is daytime, and you fnd it 
difcult to get of to sleep. Terefore, reducing the amount of blue 
light you receive can help ensure sound sleep patterns. Tere are 
blue light flters and blue light spectacles you can buy. However, 
the evidence of their value is mixed. Some studies fnd a small 
beneft, whereas other studies haven’t been able to demonstrate 
signifcant improvements due to these devices. You are welcome 
to try them, of course, to see if they do have any beneft for you. 
Just don’t fall into the trap of believing they are the solution to the 
blue light and sleep problem. 
Te most benefcial method of getting good sleep is to go to bed 
at roughly the same time every night. It appears that your body 
clock gets used to the rhythm and arranges your sleep pattern ef-
fectively as a result. Going to bed at around the same time each 
night and getting up on a regular pattern each day appears to have 
the most signifcant impact on overall sleep. Of course, there will 
be occasions when you can’t go to bed at the same time, but if you 
strive to almost always have the same bedtime, then you will fnd 
your sleep improves. 
For online students, though, regular bedtimes can be a problem. 
Te studying never goes away. Unlike campus-based students, 
where lectures appear on a timetable, the material for online 
studying is always there. As a result, it can be more difcult for 
those studying online to wind down at the end of the day. Tere is 

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