If you’re like me, then seeing 2, 3, even 4 am, is not an irregular occurrence. I justify it with “I had a paper due” or “I just couldn’t sleep,” which is often true. But sometimes, it’s honestly just that I found a new show on Netflix and didn’t realize what time it was when I was halfway through season two and my eyes were burning.
This cycle is obviously not healthy. More, regular sleep is better for you in every sense of the word. I find that if I don’t get enough regular sleep, I am exhausted during the day, I can’t pay attention during class, I’m irritable at work, and I find myself falling asleep at the most inopportune times during the day. So, I’m trying to fix my sleep habits to avoid all of this – and I want to share some tips with my fellow sleep-deprived university students so that hopefully they can get more sleep too!
Turn off the screen
I know it’s tempting to binge-watch the latest favourite on Netflix until you simply can’t keep your eyes open anymore, but this might be affecting your ability to fall asleep. When you have a screen open before you sleep (this includes laptops, phones, tablets, etc.) your brain gets stimulated by the light that the screen omits. This means that your mind is probably going to be racing when you go to bed and you won’t be able to fall asleep or get a good quality sleep. Try turning the screen off and reading a book for an hour before you go to bed. It’ll calm your brain down, and it’ll let you do something for you while you just relax.
Go to sleep at the same time regularly
It’s tempting to stay up until all hours of the night when you don’t have school the next day, or go out one evening because you know you can pull that paper off if you just pull an all-nighter, but this isn’t healthy. Your body develops a rhythm for when you need to sleep and when to be awake. The more often this is consistent, the better sleep you’ll be getting. Set a realistic goal and stick to it. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day and your quality of sleep will improve drastically.
Herbal tea
If you really have trouble sleeping, try an herbal tea to calm yourself. For me, having a warm drink relaxes me so that it’s easier for me to fall asleep. I use herbal peppermint tea (black – no sugar) because there is no caffeine in it, which means that it won’t wake me up more than put me to sleep.
Melatonin
Melatonin is something your body naturally produces and ramping this up can actually help you sleep. If you are really having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep after trying everything, try a melatonin supplement. You can get them in a natural supplement, and they’re a great alternative to any kind of sleeping pill.
White noise
I find that complete silence can often be a detriment to my sleep because my mind tends to start racing when it’s silent. This can trigger my anxiety and then I’m not getting any sleep at all. White noise doesn’t have me trying to listen to whatever is being said or played, but still lets me block out whatever is going on in my brain to keep me awake.
These are the things that have worked for me to get my sleep schedule back on track, but of course, they won’t work for everyone. There are more of a starting point for you so that you have some ideas of what to try if you aren’t getting enough sleep.