With the semester coming to an end and finals just around the corner, getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to your wellbeing. It’s easy to make a habit of staying up late and running on five hours of sleep. But after a few days of that people start saying you look really tired… code for “damn girl you look terrible.” As Sweet Brown says “ain’t nobody got time for that”! To avoid looking and feeling like a zombie check out these tips on how to get a better night of sleep.
Tip 1: Reduce Screen Time Before Bed
Watching Netflix before bed is like reading your favorite is like reading your favorite bedtime story, but it can be detrimental to how you sleep. A recent study reports that individuals who stare at screens prior to falling asleep receive a lower quality nights rest. Instead of checking your twitter feed or watching last week’s episode of revenge, try listening to music or reading a book!
Tip 2: Add a power nap to your daily schedule
Naps can range from 10 minutes to 3 hours, but the most effective nap only lasts for 20 minutes. Getting in a quick power nap at work or in your room can provide you with enough energy to conquer the rest of the day. It has been proven that sleeping for 20 minutes half way through the day is more effective and leaves you feeling more rested than sleeping in for an extra 20 minutes in the morning. You may feel a little groggy after waking up but about 10 minutes after you’ll feel more creative and motivated to exercise.
Tip 3: Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
It’s a common misconception that exercising at night will leave you feeling so tired you’ll fall right to sleep! This is completely false. According to the National Sleep Foundation reports, women who were vigorously active right before bed time received a worse night’s sleep than those who excersized in the morning. The key to a better snooze is working out in the morning or afternoon, not at night!
Tip 4: Problem solve before you go to bed
Lying in bed at night can cause you to start to thinking about many different things: grades, money, your upcoming summer plans, the list goes on and on. However, these thoughts can often leave you feeling flustered and worried, anxious about the future and what’s going to happen. STOP! Stop thinking about all the silly little things that are happening in your world and try dreaming. Lucid dreaming opens up all sorts of possibilities for controlling where and what you dream about. To teach yourself how to lucid dream or to learn more click here!
Sources:
http://lifehacker.com/149077/lucid-dreaming-how+to-and-faqs
http://ririanproject.com/2007/09/05/10-benefits-of-power-napping-and-how-to-do-it/
http://lifehacker.com/309030/top-10-ways-to-sleep-smarter-and-better
http://www.sleepsisters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/yawning-baby.jpg