Raise your hand if quarantine really screwed up your sleep.
If you could see me right now I would have both my hands straight up in the air.
Prior to Corona year, I never had issues sleeping through the night. Every night I would fall asleep and stay asleep till my alarm woke me up in the morning. So last spring I knew something was wrong when I started sitting up at 2:00 a.m. wide awake, then having to sleep until the early afternoon to make up for it.
Enter circadian rhythm.
Now this sounds like a big, fancy term, but it really is just the name for your body clock, or the natural cycle your body follows every 24 hours.
During the day different processes in your body fire up at different times. For example, your digestive system has a circadian rhythm that produces digestive proteins during the typical timing of meals.
When it comes to sleep, your circadian rhythm follows the rising and setting of the sun. Ideally, you are active when the sun is up, and you rest when the sun is down. Doing small things to aid this natural cycle can help you consistently get a good night’s rest. A healthy sleeping pattern will help you feel energized during the day, improve your immune system, and reduce stress!
Here are a few things you can do to improve your circadian rhythm now!
Get outside!
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Stepping outside into the sunlight for 20 minutes a day, especially in the morning will help your body feel alert, more awake during the day time, and ready for sleep when the sun goes down.
Limit light exposure at night.
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The light from electronics will trick your brain into thinking it’s time to be awake, and it can prevent you from falling asleep when you want to. To keep this from happening, turn off that TV, put away your phone, and pick up a good book to read 30 minutes before you climb into bed.
Make your work space different from your sleep space.
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There is no doubt that this is why I fell into a bad sleep cycle last spring. With all online classes, I was constantly in my bedroom working long hours at my desk. When you work and rest in the same place, it can be hard for your body to relax when it needs to. If you can, try to have a separate place in your house for schoolwork. This will keep your bedroom a relaxing space where you can let go of your stresses.
Think about your drinks.
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Are you having caffeine late in the day? If you are, it may be affecting your ability to rest when you want to. If you need the caffeine boost to get your work done in the afternoon, consider drinking chamomile tea or a dissolvable melatonin packet in a glass of water prior to hitting the hay.