Ever since I came to school this year, I haven’t been getting enough sleep. My roommate snores, my room is too cold, and I just find myself staring at the ceiling feeling like I’m losing my mind! This didn’t happen to me in years past, and I’m worried about how it might affect my grades as I get closer to graduation and getting a job. Experts, what can I do about this? My sleep schedule is a complete disaster, and the rest of my life feels like it’s not far behind!

Sleep is important, and you’re correct to note that a disastrous sleep schedule can mean disaster for your grades, too: studies have connected sleep to learning and grades in multiple environments and at multiple ages. You need your sleep – about 7 to 9 hours in the case of a person your age, experts say – to feel healthy, present, and happy, and you need it to perform up to your potential, mentally and physically.

So what’s going on? Well, it could be a lot of things. Maybe your room is too cold, as you say – Edison, New Jersey residential and heating repair specialists say that comfort at bedtime is a big reason that many people so value their HVAC systems. Maybe it’s your roommate. Or maybe you have a sleep disorder, a problem that is more common than you may think: anywhere between 50 and 70 million American adults may have one.

Sleep disorders come in all types. Even your roommate may have one – their snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea, say engineers who specialize in CPAP cleaners for devices commonly used to treat the condition.

Of course, not every sleepless night is the sign of a sleep disorder. Your issue could be a combination of stress and environmental factors (like the temperature of your room and the volume of your roommate’s snoring).

Your best bet is to take a look at each of these factors and try to do your best to ameliorate them. Try earplugs or a white noise machine to drown out your roommate’s snoring, and speak with your landlord about the temperature of your apartment. And tackle your stress by speaking to a therapist or taking advantage of on-campus resources.

And look at your sleep schedule as a whole, too: are you going to bed at the right time? Waking up at the right time? Doing so could help bring your circadian rhythm back into line with your sleep needs.

If you see no results, though, it may be time to speak to your doctor about sleep disorders and other conditions that could be causing this issue. Good luck!

“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” – William Blake