Zzzzz: a letter that’s pretty uncommon in our daily alphabet, but one we absolutely need to properly function each day. If there’s one thing I love in life (besides fries), it’s sleep. Without it, I don’t feel like myself … and when I’m not feeling like myself, well, WATCH out.
Truth be told, sleep is the panacea for pretty much everything. Scientists say it, doctors say it, my mother says it … we ALL scream for sleep! Sleep is the beauty secret of the wise, the health solution of the mindful and the ultimate reward for the overworked.
That’s why it’s so important as college students to put sleep first, even when that 15-page essay is due by 8:00 a.m. To look, feel and perform your best, follow my top 10 tips to sleep successful slumbers all your nights:
1. Write it off. Every single year of my youth, a New Year’s resolution of mine has been to keep a diary. Now that I’m finally 20, I’ve decided to keep one and it’s done wonders for my sleep. Clearing my head of all the thoughts from the day helps de-clutter my brain and lower my stress level. Plus, the practice of writing is a labor in itself and tires me out to a point of exhaustion. Channel your inner 5 (or, in my case, 20) year-old self and write down the day’s thoughts on the blank pages of a diary, journal, etc. Your once-jumbled, now-clear mind will thank you!
2. Unplug. Studies show that looking at a laptop, phone or iPod screen before bed can keep your brain active for 30 minutes or more after your head hits the pillow. Also, your eyes are still adjusted to the light from these screens and have trouble re-adjusting to the darkness. Do yourself a favor; check Instagram and your e-mail in the morning, and save the tunes for your morning workout or walk to class.
3. Get into a routine. Try to make sure that you get in the habit of going to bed/waking up around the same times each day. My ideal sleep habits are 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (okay, whatever, I’m a grandma…), but I typically aim to hit the hay at 11:00 and wake up a good 7.5 or 9 hours later. Sleeping in increments of sleep cycles (one full sleep cycle = 90 minutes) does wonders for the body and keeps your brain on track. Again, sleeping for either 7.5 or 9 hours a night helps your brain and body more than the old-school 8-hour rule.
4. Work it out. Exercising during the day induces sleep at night, so getting 30 minutes to 1 hour of exercise per day is key to a great sleep. You’ll feel better physically and will enjoy a more solid sleep. From now on, think of exercise as a way to not only tone and burn calories, but an opportunity to train your body for sleeping longer. Bye-bye, sleepless nights!
5. Prepare for tomorrow. Before bedtime, I always do a few things: 1. Write a to-do list for the day to come; 2. Get my outfit—complete with jewelry and shoes—together; and 3. Pack my schoolbag for the morning ahead. Yes, I take full ownership of how dorky all of this sounds, but it really does lower my anxiety level before I go to sleep. Since I prepare everything for the next day pre-slumber, I feel so relaxed knowing that I don’t have to do a ton in the morning. Writing out a to-do list especially helps since all of the things I have to do the following day aren’t “on my mind” … they’re on the piece of paper sitting on my dresser! As a result, I don’t have to wake up earlier to get all of this together, which cuts a good 10-20 minutes off of my morning routine. Try it for yourself and catch more Zzz’s!
6. Read away. Whenever I can’t sleep, I turn to my best friend: books. Like writing, the act of reading takes focus and concentration. When you’re already somewhat tired, reading tires you even more and helps the eyelids grow heavier after trying to keep up with all the words on the pages. Do yourself a favor and keep a few books next to your bedside table. Not that I don’t looooveee this book, but reading The Scarlett Letter sure had a way of making me arrive at snooze-ville!
7. Wake up with your … brain? You know when you suddenly wake up and your alarm hasn’t even gone off yet? Listen to your brain. If you avoid this internal wake-up call and try to fall back asleep, your sleep schedule will get messed up. Waking up on your own could be your body’s way of getting your sleep schedule on track. So if you want a more peaceful, deeper sleep later, follow your brain’s instincts and wake up when it says it’s time to wake up.
8. Warm some milk. Forget sheep: cows know where it’s at. A tried-but-true trick, drinking a glass of warm milk before bed really does make you sleepy. Take a tip from Sarah Jessica Parker in the movie Sex and the City 2 and warm some milk right before bed (skip the chocolate sauce, though! Plain milk works best). It makes you full, too, so you won’t go to sleep with hunger on the mind. Sip away and drift into a deep, deep sleep.
9. Picture yourself at peace. When I’m about to fall asleep, I try to picture myself in a complete state of peace: I take myself back to summer vacation, a lazy day in the park, or an evening snuggling by the fire. Bringing back memories of peaceful times in my life causes my mind to drift to a pleasant place. With these images in mind, it’s easier to drift off to sleep and stay asleep knowing that your brain and body have found Nirvana … no, not the band, but a state of heavenly relaxation.
10. “Breathe, Stretch, Shake … Let it go.” Not ashamed to say that I do take solid advice from Ma$e’s smash-hit circa 2004 (great song … will make you wanna dance for days). Stretch your arms, legs, shoulders and anything else you have to stretch before you slip under the covers. Releasing tension from your body will help you relax and will make it easier to fall asleep. Also, I’m one of those people that totally believe in yoga and meditation, and I truly think these methods have the power to clear the mind. Practicing yoga on a daily basis not only tones the body, but releases stress from the different muscles and joints to bring you closer to ultimate relaxation. Also, breathing deeply about 10 times helps induce sleep and clears your mind.
Enjoy these tips to get the most out of your sleep, and begin feeling less and less tired. Sleep is truthfully the key to getting the most out of your day. So, making sleep meaningful will help you start enjoying a healthy and happy life!
XO,
Jen Lassen