This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at South Carolina chapter.
As college students, we have wild sleep schedules. Sleep is an important part of daily life to give you energy for daily activities. But falling asleep can be hard, especially with the stress of college courses. The following tips have helped me fall asleep — and maybe they can help you, too!
- Journaling:
- I know I talked about this already, but it really does help. Journaling helps me get all of my stresses out of my head and onto paper. I do this before I hop in bed to be able to relax with a clear mind. Having a clear headspace can help you to wind down and fall asleep faster. Writing also helps my eyes tire themselves out, because my eyes follow the page while I write and eventually get sleepy.
- Shower
- This may seem self-explanatory, but showering, especially with products like shower steamers, helps calm you down for a little bit and take some time to focus on your breathing. Breathing is a big part of falling asleep, because your breath tends to show emotion. For example, when you have a cluttered mind, your breathing will be faster (and vice versa). Showering allows my body to know that it’s time to relax for a little bit before falling asleep. The warm temperature also helps my muscles to relax before hopping in bed.
- Read
- I am not an avid reader by any means, but reading before bed helps me to go to bed faster, because it makes my eyes tired. The time away from my phone also allows me to go to bed faster because I don’t have a bright blue light shining in my face. I usually get through a couple of pages before drifting off. Reading allows me to have something to do that isn’t keeping my brain too active.
- Watch something with no sound
- If you are not a big reader, like me, this could be something that can help you fall asleep. I like to watch cleaning and organizing TikToks with no sound and on my brightness set more dim. There is something calming about watching people clean that helps relax me and make me fall asleep sounder. I guess it’s true what they say — a clean space is a happy place!
- Establish a routine
- Creating a night routine can help your body know when it’s time to sleep. This can allow your body to get prepared for rest, and you’re more likely to fall asleep faster. Establishing my routine of showering, journaling, and hopping into bed has helped my body know that it’s time to recharge for another day.
- Creating a night routine can help your body know when it’s time to sleep. This can allow your body to get prepared for rest, and you’re more likely to fall asleep faster. Establishing my routine of showering, journaling, and hopping into bed has helped my body know that it’s time to recharge for another day.
Again, these are tricks that help me fall asleep, so they may not work for everyone. But, if you have trouble falling asleep, give these a try — who knows, they just might help!