Class. Gym. Class. Work. Meeting. Study. Sound familiar? Sleeping? What’s sleeping? Our busy schedules during the school year oftentimes make us forgetful of the most important activity of all: SLEEP. Even worse, the stress that comes from a busy agenda makes it impossible to fall asleep once you’ve hit the sack! But, every girl needs her beauty rest, so here are a few tricks to gain a few more Z’s every night!
1. Keep a journal! According to sheknows.com, experts recommend expressing yourself in a journal as a tactic to help tackle stress. After a chaotic day, simply write down some of your thoughts that have been keeping your mind busy. As college students, we all have hectic schedules, but making time to write in a journal can relax you and help you sleep better. Remember: sleeping in Powell, does NOT count! So, prioritize your time and sleep in an actual bed!
2. Insomnia’s mortal enemy? Melatonin. The antioxidant and naturally occurring chemical is a win-win—it can induce sleepiness when bedtime comes around and wakefulness in the morning to rise and shine! Melatonin can be found naturally in cherries, walnuts, almonds and oats. You can also take melatonin supplements, which you can find at Whole Foods, Trader J’s, or any health food store.
3. Avoid a late-night gym sesh. We all know that working out is good for your mind, body, and soul, not to mention it makes our bodies Spring Break bikini-ready. But, timing is everything! A workout an hour before bedtime gives you superfluous energy that will interfere with your sleep cycle. Having all that energy will not allow your body to relax, and oops, there goes another sleepless night! If you’re visiting Wooden in the evening, go at least three hours before hitting the sheets!
So, tonight let your body wind down, and give yourself that much-needed beauty rest that you’ve been longing for!