We’ve all been there before: it’s the early hours of the morning with a busy day behind and ahead of us, and we just can’t sleep. Whether your mind is worrying about the events of the week (like that Theory test), or you just can’t seem to forget that one time in 8th grade when you shouted the wrong answer out confidently in class, you still have got to sleep. According to a study done at Brown University, over 73% of respondents claimed that they suffered from some kind of sleep issues. However, all of this is easier said than done. So next time your brain just won’t let you sleep until it finishes the last lyric of “As Long As You Love Me,” check out these helpful tips that actually work!
1. Plan, plan, plan.
I am the first person to react to this tip and say: “There just aren’t enough hours in the day. I just keep going.” This is your first step to on the path to falling asleep easier. You just have to accept that whatever you got done today will have to be enough, and tomorrow, you will have time to get to those things that need to be done. One way to plan your sleep is to use a sleep calculator. I use this sleep calculator at least four times a week. As college kids, our schedules not only vary from day to day, but they also are hella packed. All you do with this calculator is insert the time you need to wake up, and it will generate the best times to fall asleep. A lot of times, we wake and rest in between sleep cycles. This can cause us to not only wake up feeling tired, but also causes us to go to bed at odd hours. Using a sleep calculator can help you avoid becoming Zombie Taylor Swift.
2. Listen to meditations.
This is a tip that I actually didn’t try out until I was already two years into school. At the time, I was attending Rappahanock Community College and going to bed around 2:30 AM on school nights. Sure, I got the work done, but when I finally snuggled up with the kitties to sleep, I could not get to bed! I then Youtubed Sleep Meditation and was bombarded with hundreds of videos that all claimed I could get to sleep. I found that Guided Meditations are the best (as opposed to just calming music and sounds). Find a meditation that contains a voice that doesn’t freak you out (ended up staying up half the night thanks to some guy that sounded like Pennywise), and listen to it. While it may not completely lull you to sleep, it will help unload your body and put you in a more calm state. Green Thickies outlines some great meditations for beginners!
3. Fix the way you are sleeping.
While this tip may seem very vague, it is pretty simple: fix it. Sometimes, you can’t sleep because of an outside force. This could be anything from too much light (I am famous for the “Sleep Sandwich” double pillow ordeal) to the temperature in the room. While a lot of times we can’t control the climate in our dorm rooms, adding or removing blankets can be a good place to start. Also, your positions are very important. I found that sleeping on my back or left side will keep me up longer. The best way to find your most comfortable position is to think about the way you are laying when you wake up. This is the position that you’re in when it’s zero degrees out and you have an 8 AM and it feels like the Gods have fluffed your pillows. Head-starting to this position can help you fall asleep much faster.
4. Try the 4-7-8 breathing exercise.
This tip is similar to meditations but can be done when you have finally fallen into bed. This technique claims to use your breathing to calm yourself and to trick your brain into shutting down for the evening. All you do is breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and then exhale for 8. Here is a video that explains it more in depth. (This technique can also be used to help calm panic and anxiety attacks).
5. Build a character.
This is my personal favorite and a choice that works best (but is not limited to) those creative minds. As a writer, my brain is always subconsciously working on my novel/short stories. I find when I am working to go to sleep that it can help to think about either a character or a specific scene from one of my stories. All you have to do is close your eyes and start to build a character. This can be a character in an RPG, a character you think would work great in Game of Thrones, or even an average person. After you have figured out what they look like in your minds eye, put them in a scenario and begin acting out that scene. I find this works best for scenes I haven’t written yet that I want to keep fresh or elaborate on in my stories. You’ll find that while your brain is working on this, the lyrics to those songs and the worries of your day will slowly take a back seat until you’re emersed and eventually fall into sleep. For me personally, I usually only get about 10 minutes into this before my mind shuts down.
At the end of the day, it can be hard for us to wind down and take the time to give our brains a rest. These tips (while helpful) are not the only things you can use and do take time to get used to, but when you find one that works, stick with it. Happy sleeping readers, and fire that actress staring in your bad dreams!