We are at that point in the end of the school year where all our work is starting to pile up with final projects and exams, our coffees may be getting stronger and stronger each day, and we aren’t getting much sleep at all. We are in the home stretch of things, as our school year is quickly coming to an end. Well, if you’re feeling anything like me, my sleep schedule has been completely thrown off and I struggle with getting to bed early and even have trouble falling asleep. Here are a couple quick tips that help me getting to bed early and set an atmosphere that help me fall asleep, and hopefully helps for you too!
First, it’s good to get any of your school work done during the day, and don’t wait until the night to do it. I know, this is obvious. Trust me, I am guilty of this because I tend to work better at night, and save homework until the nighttime to do. (I’m not sure why, but everyone’s different when it comes to focus and productivity.) I find that when I do things a little bit at a time during the day, I always feel relieved when I come back to my room, knowing I did most of my work during the day and I can try to get to bed at a decent time.
My next tip is to not eat or drink before heading to bed. In college, it’s easy to snack on chips or popcorn and drink sugary drinks at night, but this is not good for you. This will actually wake you up more, and causes your body to have trouble falling asleep. Overall, I think this is an obvious and is not super healthy for you either. Instead, try drinking some decaffeinated tea if you need something warm in your body to calm you down. This for sure helps you to relax, causing you to become more tired for when you go to bed.
A few other tips are to not go on your phone or laptop while in bed. (The struggle is real when all we want to do is watch Netflix!) Also, try to set a goal to go to bed at a certain time every night, even though this can be extremely hard, especially in college. Lastly, take a hot shower at night. This will feel so good at the end of a long day, and will calm down your body for a good night’s sleep.
My last tip is to set an ambiance that will make you feel relaxed, and wanting to look forward to bed. For example, twinkly lights are a must. Another thing you may not think of that is super helpful is listening to a sleep playlist or acoustic/calming playlist before bed. Spotify has a ton to choose from and I for sure swear by this. I know, it may seem a little weird for some people but it always calms and relaxes me. Leave it playing out loud when you’re maybe washing your face, brushing your teeth, packing up your bag for the next day, or whatever it is. I can always count on this tip to help me fall asleep faster. Sweet dreams!