Sleepless in University: What to Do When You Just Can’t Sleep

Edited By: Joy Jiang

Sleeping soundly through the night has never before been an issue for me. Even at my busiest, I still always made sure I got at least 8-hours of sleep, because without it, my entire day was thrown out of whack. So when at the start of this semester, I found that I was restless, tossing and turning all night, unable to fall back asleep after 4 am, I was annoyed, grumpy, but mostly confused. The first week of the semester, I woke up at least once or twice each night, unable to fall asleep after 6 am. I just attributed it to stress and nerves about starting a new semester. But as the semester has worn on, my restlessness and sleep problems have only gotten worse. Sleep is so important for your overall health, but as busy stressed out students, we need it now more than ever. If you find you too are struggling to get your solid 8-hours in every night, check out the tips below.

Naps

I know for many people, one of their most longed for experiences is the cherished nap time from our kindergarten days. Growing up, I hated naps. Whenever I took a nap, I couldn’t seem to get the timing right, and always woke up after too much time, feeling groggy and slightly nauseous. I became morally opposed to naps, and would never take the time to give my body a rest unless it was to actually go to sleep for the night. However, when you aren’t getting enough sleep each night, your body craves it, and I have decided to listen to it. Taking a 1-2 hour nap has really helped me compensate for my lack of sleep each night. If you have a few hours to kill between classes, go find a quiet library and take a quick nap! Your body will thank you for at least trying to get your full 8 hours.

Sleep cycle

I used the app Sleep Cycle throughout my first year at U of T, but had completely forgotten about it until this year. This app is great because it listens to your movements and determines what stage of sleep you are in. It lets you know what times you’re awake, asleep, and in a deep sleep. It also displays the sleep quality of each night, so you can see how each night compares to one another. Although it may not help you return to sleep or resolve your restlessness, it does provide a nice picture of when you may not be sleeping as well. Sleep cycle also has a cool feature that lets you set an alarm for a window of time: you can set it between 8:30 and 9 am, and it will wake you when you are closest to being naturally awake. I have also found that looking between the different days I can see what days had a higher sleep quality, and think back to my day to determine if anything could be contributing to my better or worse sleep. I found that the days I work out I have a better sleep! Which leads me to my next point.

Exercise

Hitting the gym for a quick workout may seem like the last thing you want to do if you are sleep deprived and cranky, but it may actually help you get a better night’s rest. Exercise is great for helping alleviate any stress you may be experiencing. One study even found that 150 minutes of physical activity a week improved sleep quality by 65%! So even if it doesn’t sound appealing at the moment, push yourself to go for a quick walk, or get to the gym during that break between your classes.

Journaling

I have always loved the concept of keeping a diary, and of being able to look back on your old journals and remember what was going on in your life at different points. But the actual process of journaling is very therapeutic, and could really be helpful in putting your mind at ease before bed. For me, I have found that at the end of the day, I sometimes cannot figure out exactly how I’m feeling. However, when I start to write about my day, I can work through everything that went on and figure out what made me feel a certain way. It is also relieving because you can get all of your thoughts and anxieties out on the page, and leave them there until tomorrow. I have noticed that the nights when I journal, I get a better night’s sleep.  

Melatonin

If you are really struggling to get a good night’s sleep, and find that it is interfering with your day to day activities, you may want to consider taking a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is a hormone that is released around 9 pm, and causes you to feel drowsy, preparing your body for sleep. Taking a supplement may help you get to sleep more easily if you struggle with falling asleep each night.

*Before you head to your local Shoppers, make sure you do your own research about whether this is something that is necessary for your situation.  

University is a stressful, busy, crazy time for all of us. The last thing we need is another factor to be contributing to this stress. Hopefully these tips will help you get a better night’s sleep, so you can keep surviving and thriving!

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• sleep
• stress