In the past, I’ve struggled with getting into a good sleeping pattern, but so far my new routine is working really well and I wanted to share it with you all! So here are my top tips for better sleep:
1. Get into a regular routine
I know that this is super hard as a college student, but during the school week try to come up with a couple things you can put into a repeatable routine to do every night. I know for me, my routine of putting away my phone, showering and then reading in bed helps my body recognize that it needs to start getting tired and ready to sleep. Another really important aspect of this is trying to go to sleep at a similar time every night (or at least school nights) to stay consistent with everything.
2. Limit use of your phone before/in bed
This was the hardest, but most beneficial change for me. I’ve started putting my phone on ‘do not disturb’ at 10:30pm every night and not using it in bed at all which has helped me so much when trying to fall asleep. The blue light in screens triggers your brain to be alert, and by not using your phone before bed it supports the natural process of falling asleep.
3. Shower at night
There’s something so relaxing about a hot shower before bed. I try to shower every night as a part of my routine because it relieves tension in your body and can really help clear your mind from the day.
4. Avoid studying in bed
Something that has helped me tremendously is stopping studying in bed. By doing productive activities in bed, you no longer associate your bed with sleep and thus have a harder time getting to sleep at night. By starting to do all of my work at my desk, and saving my bed for just sleeping it has helped me focus more while working as well as get to sleep much faster.
5. Don’t nap during the day
This is the most important. As someone who has had 8am’s everyday this semester, there’s nothing I appreciate more than a good 3 o’clock nap, but this has inevitably failed me so many times when 2am rolls around and I’m still wide awake. Instead, when that afternoon slump hits, try drinking a cup of coffee or going to the gym to wake yourself up. You’ll sleep much better that evening and may even get to sleep faster as you’ll be more tired.