The One Thing That Finally Let Me Fall Asleep at Night
Before college, I never had trouble falling asleep. I was a person that could take a nap anytime anywhere and always got at least 8 hours of sleep. Suddenly, everything changed when I came to CSU. I would toss and turn in my bed until 1or 2 in the morning, getting only 4-5 hours of sleep each night. I don’t know about you, but I am real bitchy when I don’t sleep and I spent almost all my ram cash on coffee every morning just so I could function.
There was actually a night right before my first final on Monday morning where I only got 2 hours of sleep, 2 HOURS before a 7:30 final. I decided that this was a problem I should fix. I don’t like taking medication, so I decided to try some non-drug options first.
I didn’t realize that I spent so much time in my bed until I tried to only spend time laying down when I was sleeping. I gave up my in-bed Netflix binging episodes and started to utilize my desk for something other than a place for all my junk to sit on. Long story short, this didn’t work out.
I tried not using my phone 2 hours before bed (aka torture for someone who hates to read), taking warm showers at night, exercising, and meditation. BUT NOTHING WORKED!
Afterwards, I turned to meds to try and help. I tried Zzz-Quil, Herbalife supplements, and L-Theanine, melatonin but those didn’t work either. So over winter break, I went to my doctor to get prescription medication for my lack of sleep. Before we talked about prescription medications, she basically told me to try everything I had already done because she really did not want to prescribe me meds. She even told me that the only reason I couldn’t sleep was because of my mattress. Did she not understand that I live in a dorm!? I literally cannot take furniture out of there (including the mattress), plus why would I buy a brand-new twin XL mattress!? WHEN WOULD I EVER USE THAT AGAIN? WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT IT WHEN I AM DONE? Long story short, I ended up leaving the doctor with no meds.
Finally, I came across an article on Facebook suggesting the best and fastest way to fall asleep is to try and keep your eyes open. I was skeptical, but this trick is a LIFE SAVER. I’m not going to lie, there are still nights where even with this trick it takes me 30 minutes to fall asleep, but the majority of the time I can fall asleep within 10 minutes or less. Not to mention that it gets me into a deep sleep super-fast. My roommate told me that she has slammed the door before and I didn’t budge.
Sleeping is so important and in a place like college, it’s needed more than ever. If you’re having trouble sleeping, be creative and really find a way to see what works for you! Whether it’s conventional or completely weird, get your sleep no matter what you have to do. Explore and research ways to get your sleeping schedule PERFECT! I promise you that you won’t regret it.