In one of my journalism classes, one of our latest assignments was to conduct qualitative research in groups surrounding the topic of sleep among college students at the University of Oregon. Our research goal was to collect data and create insights that could be used to come up with ideas about how to promote healthy sleeping habits for college students. My conducting interviews, we got to hear from 10 different students on what they had to say. Most of the students felt they had a hard time falling asleep or were not receiving adequate amounts of sleep due to factors like stress and anxiety that keep them up at night. One of the most interesting things was that out of the interviews, the majority of the students that had some sort of nightly routine believed that they received a better night’s rest.
Those who had nightly routines felt that these routines eased their anxiety and helped them start to relax after a long day. The Sleep Foundation even says that, “A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.” With our busy lives, jumping from task to task throughout the day, even if we get through our endless “checklist,” our mind starts to create a checklist for the next day which can carry over into the night or as we are laying in our bed trying to fall asleep. Creating soothing nighttime routines can help you wind down and take your mind off of the high intensity, anxiety-inducing parts of life.
Nightly routines can include anything from putting away technology 30 minutes before bed or doing relaxation exercises to really calm down the whole body. Other common practices include things like writing your thoughts down and if you are experiencing any anxiety, writing that down as well. Reading can help you relax, fall asleep and may even help fight Alzheimer’s disease. Taking a warm bath or shower can help you feel refreshed and ready to jump into bed, not worrying about having to shower in the morning.
As our lives become surrounded with never-ending daily tasks, increased exposure to blue light and societal pressures to stay in the know about everything, no wonder our generation is having trouble sleeping. Sleep plays a vital role not only in the performance of college students, but their overall health and well-being. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says, “Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.” As college students, it’s not easy juggling everything on our plates. We often prioritize many things over our own health because we believe it will be beneficial in the end. However, if we want to be successful we need to take the small steps now in order to make big differences in our future. Even in our packed schedules, it’s important to take time out of the day and take care of yourself.