5 Tips for Better Sleep!

Getting adequate sleep is one of the best things that you can do for your body. If you aren't getting enough sleep, you can get sick more easily, have trouble losing weight, or break out in acne. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, but it usually falls between 7-9 hours a night. I'm doing my Family Medicine rotation right now and difficulty sleeping is a complaint I see often among my patients. Here are several tips that can help you get a good night's sleep! (Of course, there are many sleep disorders out there. If you try these tips out and still find yourself having trouble sleeping, see your primary care physician.)

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1.) Stick to a schedule. // Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends. This will help to regulate your body's internal clock and help you to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. 

Gluten/Nut Free Banana Granola | Recipe

This granola is literally the best! It tastes great added to yogurt, cereal (I like to add it to my Cheerios in the morning to give it more flavor), or even just by itself. You can easily switch this recipe up - you can use different seeds, honey, maple syrup, etc. (I adapted the recipe from this one, so I can't take the credit!)

Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened banana chips
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup agave nectar syrup
1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Didactic Year of PA School | 5 Tips

I can't believe I'm done with my first year (aka didactic year) of PA school! It went by so fast! I'm starting my clinical rotations in less than 1 week (exciting, but also nerve-wracking...eek!). I did very well in my didactic year, so I thought I would share some of the tips that helped me!

1.) Find your own groove. // Some of my classmates didn't study on the weekends (unless there was an exam on Monday). Others took one day off a week from studying. Don't try to do what everyone else is doing. Do what is best for you! Personally, I studied a little everyday for the most part. There were a couple rare weeks where we didn't have an exam, so I would take a break from studying then. This tip also applies to how you study. Some students like to make study guides. Others just study from their notes and PowerPoint slides. I started out trying to make study guides, but it ended up being too time-consuming for me. I ended up just studying the PowerPoint slides and my notes. Sometimes I used the Quizlet app as well.

This is literally what PA school feels like most of the time.
Source: Pinterest

2.) Share notes/study guides! // If you do make study guides, make sure to share them with your classmates! My class created a private Facebook group in the very beginning, so that we could share notes, study guides, etc. This is not a competition, so make sure to help out your fellow classmates!