My grandfather is known for his good, but often wordy advice. One thing he told each of my cousins before we went to college was: “You will have to decide if you value sleep, a social life, or good grades because you can only get two of the three.” And I think most of us value friends and the goal of maintaining a great GPA over spending time in bed for eight hours every night.
Sleep has always been a struggle. It’s incredibly easy for me to take a nap, but as soon as I have to say goodbye to the day, I can’t do it. I tend to become restless and anxious once my head hits the pillow. I stress about my to-do list, the future as a whole, and embarrassing moments from two years ago. Usually, I take Unisom a few minutes before I want to sleep, but I hate the fact that I have to turn to medicine to do such a basic task.
I told this exact problem to my very distant aunt over the summer. It was more of a rant, and I didn’t expect anything out of it. However, she told me that she’s dealt with the same issue and recently solved it with something called a Nodpod. I kind of laughed at her because there was no way an eye mask could make that much of a difference. But I was very, very wrong.
Nodpods are eye masks designed to apply gentle, firm pressure to the face. While I don’t fully understand the science behind it, I do notice an immediate difference in my overall mood and stress levels. It feels like a hug throughout the night. I wake up feeling refreshed and happy that I was able to fall asleep when I intended to.
My favorite part about my NodPod is that I got to prove my grandfather wrong. I’m able to study all day, hang out with my friends, and come home to get a great night’s rest.
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