Sleep is important, we love it (especially here at Nerdify), we spend a third of lives doing it and yet lots of people have a problem waking up every morning.

Lack of sleep is a real problem and has been linked to short-memory loss, difficulty concentrating and depression. According to a recent study, from the Rand Corporation, United States economy loses staggering $411 billion a year due to lack sleep among the working population.

An average person needs roughly 7-8 hours of bedtime to be in tip-top shape. But simply lying in bed won’t cut it. The quality of sleep is equally important.

We’ll share some tips with you, on how to get the best sleep possible every single night:

1. Keep a constant sleep cycle

Our bodies have a natural biological clock, called “circadian rhythms” that basically say when you should be awake and when you should be sleeping. Messing with it will make you tired all day long. Try focusing on going to bed (and waking up) at roughly the same time. That way, your body will adjust its melatonin production ( the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy) to your sleep cycle.

2. Switch off your laptop/mobile phone

Our screens emit “blue spectrum light” which makes our bodies think it’s “daylight” suppressing the melatonin production, hence you stay awake past midnight checking your FB or watching YouTube. This is EXACTLY the reason why staring at your mobile phone or laptop when going to bed, is a terrible idea. Thus, 1 hour before bedtime – put your mobile phone away and switch off your laptop!

3. Take a shower and cool your room

Various studies have shown, that the best sleep comes at around 68 degrees °F (approx. 20 °C) room temperature. So try cooling your room before bedtime. Another thing you can do is taking a quick hot shower. This will help you relax and let your eyes rest before going to bed.

4. Read a book or meditate

The last 30 minutes before bed should really be all about relaxing and preparing your mind for sleep. Clearing your mind with meditation or yoga, reading a book will quickly take a toll on you and you’ll be falling asleep shortly. You can also sniff some lavender essential oils! Many studies have indicated that breathing in lavender help people relax and get better quality sleep.

5. Once you wake up – get some sunlight

As discussed previously – melatonin is the hormone that makes you sleepy. Our body starts producing it when the sun goes down. To STOP melatonin production – get some sunlight right after you jump out of bed, production of the melatonin will stop and your body will know that it’s time to wake up!

Here at Nerdify, we help you succeed during your academic years. We think it’s incredibly important students achieve their goals because education is one of the biggest investments one makes in his life. If you feel like the pressure is mounting up and you need a helping hand – get in touch and we’ll make sure you have enough sleep today 😉

As you know, Nerdify reviews only the most interesting and helpful stuff. And this time it’s all about leisure!

Summer is the best season to visit some outdoor music events and, with the increasing amount of music festivals all around, the possibilities are endless. If you haven’t attended any yet, it’s not too late to jump on a wagon! So if you live for music, sun and enjoying both with other music lovers, then this list may set up your itinerary for this summer vacation!

Some festivals have won their reputation throughout the years while the others are just starting to gain their followers, overall, Nerdify has compiled the best of them!

Folk on the Rocks (July 20 to 22. City of Yellowknife, Spectacular Northwest Territories)

Folk on the Rocks is an adventure worth to live for! Yellowknife welcomes thousands from all over Canada to Long Lake each year since 1980. Just imagine a perfect combination of amazing landscapes, a true beer garden and more than 24-hour music program not even mentioning the children’s area. Here is all the information you need: https://bit.ly/2Mdawka

Panorama (July 27 to 29. Randall’s Island, NYC)

This festival comes from the hand and mind of Coachella’s producers. It’s just one more reason to take a closer look at this newbie. This year’s line-up includes The Weeknd, Janet Jackson, The Killers, St. Vincent, David Byrne, and many others. Panorama also brings THE LAB, which places experiential digital art that combines technology, artistry, and design, created exclusively by New York-based artists. An experience exclusively brought to this festival. More info: https://bit.ly/2iYVpPd

Osheaga (August 3 to 5. Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal)

Every year Osheaga proves to be one of the best festivals in Canada. Its line-up is amazing and full of artists well known worldwide! From Arctic Monkeys, St. Vincent, Chromeo to Florence and the Machine, Franz Ferdinand, and it goes on and on with three days of non-stop music! Just click here and be amazed too: https://bit.ly/2l8oiLz

Lollapalooza  (August 2 to 5. Grant Park, Chicago)

Truth to be said, this one is one of Nerdify’s favorite festivals, no wonder it appears in Nerdify reviews. It was created in 1991 and quickly grew into the legendary music event of US. Although it almost ended in 1997, it came back a few years later in 2003. Grant Park in the city of Chicago! Different genres of music (rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic, etc.), eight different stages, endless food stands, and the most beautiful scenery with the Chicago Skyline on one side and Lake Michigan on the other side, make Lollapalooza one of the most powerful stages in the world. The line-up for this year includes The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, The National, and many more. For tickets and more info follow the link: https://bit.ly/2erRyWP

Arise Music Festival (August 3 to 5. Sunrise Ranch, Loveland, Colorado)

This festival is best described as a movement, where yoga, art installations, workshops, performances, sustainability, social responsibility merge with tons of music for 3 days in the mountain valley of Colorado. An eclectic line up with some reggae, EDM, and folk. A huge variety of organic food in food trucks. And the best part is that every ticket sold funds a tree planting and honestly, in Nerdify, we think this only reason is enough to go there! Here you can get more info: https://bit.ly/1OltGyI

Outside Lands (August 10 to 12. San Francisco, California)

Food, wine, beer and all the sights surrounding the San Francisco area, make this festival really unique. Every August the Golden Gate Park turns into one of the biggest music events of the West Coast. With artists such as Janet Jackson, Florence and the Machine and  The Weeknd, this year Outside Lands will make a lot of people very happy. Get all the info for this one here: https://bit.ly/2odMU3r

Mutek (August 22 to 26. Montreal, Canada)

Mutek is listed in Nerdify reviews for a reason. This multicultural and international festival sets place the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, unifying electronic music and audiovisual performances. The splendid female artist is the one in charge of this year’s line-up. For more information click here: https://bit.ly/2teDLfa

Burning Man (August 26 to September 3. Black Rock, Nevada)

Nerdify reviews Burning Man as well, though many people will not consider it as the one dedicated to music. We needed to include it in the coolest festivals because it is indeed one of the coolest! It sets up in an inhabited part of the Nevada desert that transforms into the Black Rock City for the next 7 days. A place where people are the part of an artistic community, surrounded by futuristic sculptures and surreal art, everything in the festival comes alive when the last minute surprised DJ starts to play. It ends with burning THE man. More info: https://bit.ly/2ppRVJe

Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival  (September 22 and 23. Franklin, Tennessee)

With a 3-year history, this festival has already gained a fame of the place to find all the best bands in every genre on its 6 stages: rock’n’roll, country, bluegrass, jazz, indie, gospel, pop, and blues. Its creators have thought every single aspect through to make this festival the best experience ever – everything is kept on the highest level of performance.  This year’s line-up includes Lionel Richie, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Jack White, and many more. Check all artists here: https://bit.ly/2ywqsM5

We admit, there’s a great number of music festivals all the year round, so probably these Nerdify reviews are just a start. We will definitely have to post similar entries for the other season’s music fests. But for now, summer is the sunny season that’s just too perfect to enjoy music outdoors all day and all night long! So go ahead and start filling the agenda!

Academic life is full of challenges. As soon as students get into college they are constantly being bombarded with new information. Quite often folks have to relocate to another city and hence meet lots of new people in a very short timespan. Those are certainly both stressful and exciting times. Our team at Nerdify thought it’s going to be a good idea to share some life hacks with you so that you could make the most out of your time in college.

1. Get to know your college and lecturers.

College is not just a place where you get your degree, it’s more than that. The first thing you should do is get to know the place where you are studying – student unions, special offers you get with your student card, career fairs conducted by the local business and so on. Usually, there are plenty of opportunities lying around, so it’s a good thing to at least know where they are.

Next thing – get to know your teachers. Everyone is different, everyone requires a unique approach and almost everyone is biased (we are human beings after all). So the more you know about your lecturers the more you know how to approach them (during exams, mid-terms, revision time etc). This kind of information is always useful.

2. Create a group-chat with your class

Create a group of your class on either social media site or on some type of messenger app. Post important class updates, copies of lecture notes, schedule updates.

It’s best to have several chats depending on a topic. For example, “important announcements”, “lecture notes” and “homework chat”. That way you won’t flood one chat will lot’s of messages on various topics. Have chat guidelines, so that everyone is on the same level on what they can or cannot post

3. Take written notes during lectures

Taking notes during the lecture is one of the best things you can do if you want to absorb and understand the material. But, it turns out how you take your notes is also important. There have been studies that showed that writing things down on a paper actually makes you remember more than if you would by typing on a laptop for example. If you are dead serious about not using paper though, use stylus apps as an alternative.

4. Revise your notes on regular basis

This is the easiest lifehack out there. (Nerdify’s favorite) Read your lecture notes once a month or so. Our memory works in such a way that if we do not use the information we learn it fades away in time. Not only reading notes will make you remember the academic material better, you will also notice “blind spots” in your knowledge much earlier than you otherwise would (not 2 weeks before the final example, for example 🙂

5. Networking!

College is a perfect time to network like crazy. Many people start their first businesses in college due to extensive networking and later in your professional career – the alumni network you have will be the go-to place if you need to reach out to contacts outside your local network of colleagues and friends.

Here at Nerdify, we think that being in college is one of the most fun time you’ll have in your life. Absorb all the knowledge you can (not necessarily lectures), do sports, travel, party, get to know as many people as possible. But, if you ever get buried with work and need a helping hand – get in touch, we’ll get you sorted 🙂