Why You Can Trust CNET 8 things you need to stay healthy at college
Everything is easier at college when you get enough sleep and exercise.
College kids don't have the best reputations for staying healthy. Long hours studying mean you're more sedentary, living with other people means getting sleep can be tough and partying simply wears you out.
The eight essentials below will help you stick to healthy habits while you're away at school, so that you have the energy to make it through your classes and have fun too.
One of the easiest ways to stay healthy at college is to stay hydrated. And if you're spending most of your day away from your dorm or the dining hall, you'll want to stash a water bottle in your bag so it's always there when you need it.
My personal favorite is a wide-mouth Hydroflask because not only can they keep water ice-cold for hours, they're easy to clean and come in tons of colors. Want other options? Check out our list of best water bottles.
Living in close quarters with hundreds of other students means being surrounded by a lot of noise. When you need to sleep but your dorm neighbor wants to blast music at 2 a.m., a white noise machine can be a godsend.
This one from Marpac is considered to be the original white noise machine and is still very popular, or you can try the $20 Big Red Rooster White Noise machine, which also offers rain, ocean and other natural sounds.
When the white noise machine isn't enough to drown out background noise when you need to sleep, it's time for earplugs.
These ones from Flents are easy to use, small enough to work with anyone's ear and they do a great job of blocking sound. For $14, you get 50 pairs of ear plugs.
If the light from your roommate's laptop bothers you more than the noise from them typing, you'll want a sleep mask.
This one is enticing because it's inexpensive, has several layers of fabric to block out light, and has a flap for around your nose to prevent light from creeping in there.
If you hate the feeling of a mask pressing against your eyes all night, get one that has a contoured fit, which gives you breathing room for your eyes -- like this one.
Even though the Freshman 15 is a myth, you should still strive to get some exercise while off at school. Not only does it help you better cope with stress, it can give you more energy and more restful sleep.
Even if you don't practice yoga, a yoga mat can be a good addition to your dorm room because it gives you a space to stretch, do push ups and any other floor-based exercise. Dorm room floors aren't the cleanest, so you'll want some kind of barrier if you plan to workout in your room.
For most college students, all you'll need is this budget-friendly BalanceForm mat. It's soft, cushioned and versatile for any workout.
College is stressful, so why not make your dorm a bit more peaceful when you pull those all-nighters with an essential oil diffuser? Not only can it make your room smell good, and provide relaxing or energizing effects, it can also double as a mini humidifier.
Our favorite on Amazon is the VicTsing Cool Mist Ultrasonic Diffuser because it's super quiet, can run for up to 10 hours and has an autoshutoff.
Your school will have a student health center, but you won't want to have to go there every time you have a headache or get a paper cut.
Most first aid kits have a bunch of stuff you'll likely never use (like tongue depressors or finger splints), but this Johnson & Johnson kit has just the essentials: a few types of adhesive bandages, Tylenol, anti-itch cream, a cold compress and some gloves. And of course, you can also supplement it with more items too.
Ritual, Care/of or Rootine vitamin subscription services
Between long nights studying (or partying), eating junk food and being in close quarters with people, staying healthy can be a challenge at college. Trust me, you don't want to get the flu during the first week of the semester -- all you want to do is stay in bed, but you have to show up to classes or else you'll get dropped.
Vitamins can help make up for a nutritionally unbalanced diet and keep your overall health in good shape. Rather than having to run to the store to get them, get them delivered. Services such as Care/of, Ritual and Rootine deliver personalized vitamins for your specific needs.
Check out our list of the best vitamin subscription services for more info.