The end of summer vacation is always hard on students. In a span of days, they would have to say goodbye to the last two months’ no-stress routine and get grooving for the school year. And getting up early is probably one of their biggest challenges.

How do you make the transition from vacation mode to study mode easier? It’s simple, really. Gradually adjust your body clock to your desired schedule. If you were staying up till 11 p.m. during the summer, you won’t be able to force your body to fall asleep at 8 p.m right away. Take it slow. Start by sleeping 30 to 45 minutes earlier than usual until you slowly reach your desired bedtime. When you’ve reached your desired bedtime, be sure to make it regular. Don’t worry about waking up early; your body usually knows when it’s time to get up after it has had enough rest. As long as you slept early enough, waking up early should be easy. Set your alarm clock too, just to be sure.

Here are a few other things you can do to make the transition easier:

* Avoid late night snacks; this keeps your digestive system working. It may even cause spikes in your blood sugar preventing you from going to sleep.

* Avoid daytime naps; this might keep you up at night. We’ve all experienced napping during the day and being too energized at night to even fall asleep.

* Avoid drinking fluids right before bedtime; this might break your sleep if you have to wake up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself.

* Clear your mind. If your mind is too cluttered, organize and plan for the next day. It will help clear your mind, and hopefully, prepare it for a good night’s sleep.