There’s nothing that feels better than taking a warm shower, lighting a candle, using your favorite lavender-scented products, and getting into bed all cozy and comfortable…only to be wide awake as your mind is racing.
As college students, we are constantly in motion. We attend classes, we go to work, we do the homework for the classes and the cycle repeats. In between all that we have to maintain our social lives and find time for ourselves and our hobbies. That’s a whole lot of things happening at once.
When trying to sleep at night, all the things we think about during the day start to get to us. We start thinking about what we have to do for the next day or week. What we have to eat. Sometimes it can even go as far as making it into your dreams.
Personally, I’ve been sleeping weird for the past two weeks. I would drink some tea, blow out my candle, and climb into bed, already tired. Then I’ll wake right out of my dreams. But it’s not a sudden waking up. It’s the kind of wake up where my dreams and my thoughts are becoming one. I would wake up from my dream and immediately become entangled in thoughts of the next day. So, in between dreams, I was completely awake.
This cycle is nothing new to me. Whenever I start a new school year this always happens. I know I’m at school, but my living situation is different every year. So, here’s what I do when I find myself thinking more and sleeping less.
- Melatonin Gummies. I take the melatonin gummies from Olly. You can take two, but usually one is enough to give me that sleepy feeling. It won’t make you feel groggy in the morning either. They taste like blackberries, and I chew one as soon as I’m in bed. I will usually take the gummies for a few days until I feel like I don’t need them anymore. There are no side effects except really good sleep and vivid dreams. Here’s the link: OLLY Sleep Blackberry Zen – OLLY PBC
- Tea. It’s important to know what kind of tea you should drink before bed. Anything with caffeine will most likely keep you up. Be careful because green tea may sound like a good idea but it can contain about 28mg of caffeine. Opt for herbal tea instead. Chamomile, lavender, peppermint and lemon balm are all good for soothing your body and your mind. I usually drink chamomile or peppermint.
- Exercise. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Taking a walk or doing some yoga is a great way to move your body. I joined a yoga class, and I have a workout app on my phone that will give me workouts specifically to settle my body down for nighttime. During the day, the app will give me workouts that only take seven minutes, so it’s not even taking a lot of time out of my day.
- Journaling isn’t for everyone. Honestly, sometimes I find that it’s not for me either. But, I need a way to get all my thoughts out. Sometimes I draw, even though I’m horrible at it. I discovered through Tik Tok that I can record myself talking with voice memos. It’s like having a conversation with someone but in one way, and nobody has to hear it (like a voice dairy). So, if you don’t feel like writing it down then talk it out.
I know sleep is important and to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Right now, I get about five to six, so it’s close enough. Over the course of the semester, my sleep schedule will get better. For now, I’ll keep trying until one day I fall asleep and stay asleep for the whole night.