Circadian Rhythm and Study: Better Sleep for Better Online Learning

28 August, 2025 ∙ By Sahil Devasia ∙ No Comments

The key to maximising potential in online education involves harmonising the sleep cycle with study routines, and studying at Robert Kennedy College (RKC) makes this journey accessible, empowering, and rewarding. By combining world-class online programmes with a proactive approach to sleep and wellbeing, students excel academically, professionally, and personally within RKC’s vibrant global community.

Understanding Your Circadian Rhythm

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s natural 24-hour clock, guiding sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and peak mental performance. When you respect this rhythm, you access:

Natural energy boosts at the right moments
Efficient memory consolidation for complex topics
Better mood, resilience, and overall health

RKC students worldwide leverage these benefits to power through demanding modules—from strategic business to digital marketing.

Harness Your Circadian Rhythm: The Key to Success at RKC

Everyone has a unique circadian rhythm—an internal clock that influences energy levels, concentration, and mood over a 24-hour cycle. At RKC, understanding this rhythm isn’t just advised; it’s celebrated as the key to improved focus, memory, and overall performance. RKC students attribute their successes in diverse programmes—Bachelor, MBA, MSc, LL.M, and even PhD—to finding the right balance between adaptable study schedules and healthy sleep habits.

Flexibility That Fits Your Life — and Your Sleep

Studying online with RKC offers freedom—and that freedom is best enjoyed with a healthy routine. Without set campus hours, it’s easy for late-night study sessions to encroach on sleep time. RKC’s student community and time-management resources support you in developing consistent habits, helping you stay energised, connected, and on course with your goals.

RKC’s online programmes are designed for busy professionals worldwide, offering the flexibility to learn whenever and wherever suits best. This allows students to personalise their classes, readings, and projects according to their natural energy peaks, making learning enjoyable and sustainable. Whether attending webinars from Europe, Asia, Africa or America, RKC’s supportive platform makes it easy to adjust for time zones and personal routines—enhancing wellbeing and productivity.

Winning Strategies for Balancing Sleep and Study at RKC

1. Celebrate Consistent Routines

Consistent sleep and study routines tailored to individual preferences help students maximise their learning from online sessions. RKC’s students share stories of enhanced retention and creativity simply by maintaining a regular sleep schedule that aligns with their coursework demands.

2. Maximise Morning Energy with Natural Light

Students who start their day with sunlight or a walk experience sharper focus and increased motivation throughout their RKC learning journey. RKC’s flexible format enables learners to incorporate bright, energising mornings into their routines—laying the foundation for daily success.

3. Transform Peak Alertness Into Peak Performance

With RKC’s 24/7 access, students can easily plan assignments and interactive sessions during their periods of peak energy and focus. This approach isn’t just permitted—it’s supported, enabling every student to succeed in complex modules, forum discussions, and online residencies.

4. Relax and Rejuvenate—Your Own Way

A calming pre-sleep routine, whether meditation, gentle stretching, or a good book, keeps RKC learners alert and prepared for new challenges. The college’s virtual resources offer tips and mindfulness techniques, boosting resilience and calm, particularly during busy deadlines.

5. Smart Napping for Sustained Success

Strategic, brief naps help many RKC students recharge for afternoon studies or late-night research, all without compromising healthy sleep. The college encourages self-awareness so students can find their own balance—one that allows academic growth alongside family and career goals.

6. Mastering Global Connections

RKC’s global student community attends live sessions across continents, but thoughtful guidance from faculty and customised time management tools ensure that everyone finds a rhythm that works for them. The result: students participate eagerly, share insights across cultures, and forge lasting friendships—regardless of their time zone.

7. Empowered by Technology at RKC

Wearables and sleep-tracking apps assist in fine-tuning sleep and study routines, providing real-time feedback and gentle reminders for optimal balance. RKC incorporates technological solutions into its programmes, promoting smart choices while always prioritising wellbeing.

Why RKC Students Thrive: Beyond Academics

Better sleep, guided by RKC’s learner-centred approach, leads to:

Greater energy for work, study, and life adventures
Resilience and positive attitude, essential for leadership and teamwork
Long-term health, supporting ambitions in every field—from business to law to science
Epic experiences during RKC residencies in England and Zürich, where students immerse themselves culturally, academically, and socially—rested and ready to explore

Stories of Transformation: RKC Students Share Their Wins

RKC students consistently report excellent results from synchronising their study and sleep routines. From completing digital marketing projects to excelling in strategic business courses, these students attribute their confidence, focus, and well-being to adopting RKC’s flexible, supportive environment. One graduate summed it up: “RKC made it possible to grow in my career and life—all while maintaining a healthy balance.”

Sleep Well, Learn Better—Achieve More at RKC

Joining RKC means choosing a path that respects individual rhythms, encourages personal growth, and provides world-class qualifications. The college offers guidance, inspiration, and community—ensuring every student not only completes their degree but also enjoys their learning journey.

Start today—embrace a positive, energised lifestyle with RKC. Choose a regular bedtime, greet the morning light, and immerse yourself in a supportive network dedicated to your success. RKC is where aspirations become reality, and every day is a new step towards a brighter future.

Unlock your potential. Sleep, study, and succeed—at Robert Kennedy College.

7 ways to better understand your Sleep Cycle

22 April, 2022 ∙ By Sahil Devasia ∙ 1 Comment

*Photo by Alexander Possingham on Unsplash.*

When I was growing up, sleeping was one of my favourite things to do. I used to sleep late but could just keep sleeping and wake up late. But as I grew older and with responsibility ever-increasing, sleeping late soon became a thing of the past. Unfortunately, I had gotten into the habit of sleeping late (something I still haven’t gotten over), resulting in less sleep than I liked.

Our regular readers might have noticed that we have covered “sleep” in several of our previous blogs, either on its own or as an essential part of another self-improvement blog. This is because almost every study highlights the importance of a healthy sleep cycle.

But what constitutes a healthy sleep cycle? The following are seven tips to help you identify what makes a healthy sleep cycle.

1. There is no such thing as a “golden rule”

*Do you really need eight hours of sleep? Photo by Mpho Mojapelo on Unsplash.*

How often have we been advised “always to get at least 8 hours of sleep a day”? If I had a penny for every time someone told me that, I would at least have close to a pound by now. This golden rule has become so ingrained in our psyche that for most of us if we don’t get eight hours of sleep, we feel worn out the next day. The fact is, for most of us, the ideal daily requirement of sleep is between seven and nine hours, dependent on several factors such as fatigue levels, the time we go to sleep, etc.

Then there are those lucky few who, according to the National Institute of Health, have a unique gene that enables them to require only four to five hours of sleep daily for optimal and regular performance.

So, figure out what is your “golden rule”!

2. Reduced sleep does not increase efficiency

For those of us who lead a busy life, it might seem that there are never enough hours in a day. We might try to make up for this by reducing the number of hours we get to sleep [because where else can you get the time? (I am being sarcastic here)], let’s say by reducing an hour of sleep from our ideal sleep cycle. Now, if we do this for an entire week, that is seven hours taken away from our ideal sleep cycle, and if we think this would not have an impact on us, we would be wrong. All you will achieve is increasing your fatigue levels and reducing your productivity.

3. Bored vs Sleepy

Another way of identifying if you are getting adequate sleep per your ideal sleep cycle is by noticing if you are falling asleep at unexpected times during the day. Maybe in class or at a meeting, or even at the movies. If you are otherwise healthy and tend to fall asleep at unexpected times, you are not getting adequate sleep. It is not because you are lazy or bored. You can be bored as hell in a class and still be wide awake.

So, check your sleep cycle, maybe increase an hour to the cycle and see if there is an improvement.

4. Identify your sleep cycle

No one said a sleep cycle must be continuous. Let’s say your ideal sleep cycle is 7 hours a day. If you can sleep the seven hours continuously, that is great, but if you can’t, consider breaking up the cycle, five hours at night and two hours midday. Experiment and find out what sleep cycle works for you.

5. Older people need less sleep

False! While it is true that children and teenagers might require more sleep to cater to their growing bodies. Once you are an adult, your ideal sleep cycle will remain consistent. So, even if your sleep schedule moves around a bit during your life, your ideal sleep cycle length should stay the same.

6. Temperature control

I hate warm and cosy! I just can’t sleep when it is warm, and I just sweat buckets. I like my room cold (the exact opposite of my wife’s); usually, the temperature in my room is set to about sixteen degrees centigrade. And this is what I need to get a comfortable night’s sleep. Find out what works for you and what will help you achieve your ideal sleep cycle.

7. Too much sleep

Just like getting too little sleep, getting too much sleep can also be detrimental to a person’s mental and physical health. According to a study listed in the National Library of Medicine, “In the general population, sleeping too much was associated with psychiatric diseases and higher body mass index (BMI)”.

So, stick to your ideal sleep cycle and don’t think you can make up for the loss of sleep by sleeping extra a couple of days a week.

Hopefully, these seven tips will help you manage your ideal sleep cycle better, thereby improving your quality of life and improving your work-life-study balance. If you have any other tips that might help our readers manage their sleep cycle better, please share them here.

If you have been thinking about doing a master’s degree, and are ready to challenge yourself, look at our list of programmes and see if we have anything you are interested in doing.

You can also chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information on the programme that is right for you, the application process, and details on discounts we might be offering at this time.