As university students, sleep is one of the most important things, not only for academic performance, but for overall well-being. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the hardest aspects of health to maintain. From pulling an all-nighter or waking up for that 8:30 am class, dedicated sleeping time can be hard to find. My sleep schedule has been thrown off more times than I’d like to admit. You may be able to relate to this: it’s late at night, I’ve just finished studying and so I need to watch at least one episode of my fave TV show…then three episodes later it’s 2 a.m. and I’m questioning my life decisions. So believe me, I get the struggle, but I also know it makes the world of a difference when I get a good night’s sleep, and I’m sure it does for you too!
So here are five tips for sleep that can help us get our sleep back on track!
Practice Proper Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is key to a good night’s sleep. First, ensure your sleep environment is set to around 18.3-20℃, as our bodies need to be on the cooler end to be able to sleep. Also, make sure you are only using your bed for sleep, that way, your brain associates your bed with sleeping. I found my sleep improved a lot when I stopped studying in my bed because often it would lead to an unnecessary three-hour nap (which feels good in the moment, but can make it much harder to fall asleep later that night). Also, make sure it’s dark in your room—like really dark. If you find yourself in bed at night and you’re not able to sleep after 20 minutes, instead of laying there staring at the ceiling, get up and go do a relaxing activity until you feel tired enough to go back to bed. This also helps reduce any frustrations you may have of not being able to sleep by helping focus on something other than the negative thoughts.
Put the Phone Away
I know you’re probably rolling your eyes right now, but it’s true that being on your phone, or any blue light emitting devices, can significantly decrease the quality of your sleep and your ability to fall asleep. According to Zimmerman and colleagues, this is because we have specialized cells in the back of our eyes that are sensitive to blue light and when exposed to it, the cells send a signal to the pineal gland inside our brains to halt the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for drowsiness. It’s generally recommended to turn off devices at least one hour before bed. This, unfortunately, includes TV, computers, e-readers, and gaming devices. There are some things you can do if you absolutely must use a device, which include wearing blue light blocking glasses and dimming or putting screens on night mode. You can even get some screen protectors that block blue light too. If you’re at a loss for what to do other than being on your phone at night, here are some suggestions.
Alternatives to Being on Your Phone:
- Colouring
- Journaling
- Stretching or doing yoga
- Reading
- Listening to some relaxing music or a podcast
- Knitting or crocheting
- Taking a bath or shower
- Preparing for the next day
Make a Sleep Routine
Our circadian rhythms are meant to be in sync with the day and night cycle, so sleep experts suggest going to bed and waking up at the same time every day to keep this rhythm consistent. This isn’t always feasible since classes start at different times most days, but even if it’s around the same time each night, that’s better than nothing. This includes weekends too! It can be tempting to sleep in and make up for sleep debt, but generally it’s better to do so over the course of a few days rather than just the weekend. If you’re like me and have trouble remembering your routine, you can put alarms and reminders on your phone an hour or longer before you plan on going to sleep, shut off your devices, get ready for bed, and find a relaxing activity.
Waking up in the Morning
This is probably the thing I have struggled with the most when it comes to my sleep. It’s morning, you’re lying in bed, all warm and cozy, and the next thing you know, your alarm starts blaring. Instead of getting up, you hit snooze five times and nearly miss your first class. Some things that can help give you that boost out of bed are putting your alarm in another room so that you are forced to get up. You can also try kicking off the blankets immediately when your alarm goes off so that you make yourself cold and less comfortable, forcing you out of bed. My personal favourite, though, is rewarding yourself with a little treat in the morning so that you’re excited to wake up. This can be making yourself a special tea or coffee, or even purposefully going out and buying a drink to really get you moving. Light therapy, also used for Seasonal Affective Disorder, can also help reset your circadian rhythm. It involves sitting in front of a specialized light box every morning for a set amount of time. Consistent use helps increase levels of serotonin and delay production of melatonin, allowing you to feel more awake and alert.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia
If you’re still having trouble with your sleep (and that’s okay), you can always look into Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). This therapy modality focuses mainly on cognitive restructuring, altering behaviours, and psychoeducation. It also delves into various relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and breathing exercises. Up to 70-80% of people struggling with insomnia have received some benefit from CBT-I, and although it is not an overnight fix, it definitely shows promise. If you are unable to find a therapist, or don’t want to speak with one, you can check out CBT-I Coach on the App Store and on Google Play (recommended by the Sleep Foundation Organization) that contains many online resources, including a sleep diary and various sleep assessments! It can also calculate your own personalized sleep recommendation and the efficacy of your sleep after inputting a few days’ worth of sleep data.
So there you have it! I hope you have found these sleep tips helpful and that they help improve your quality of sleep. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t notice a difference right away, these things take time, but the effort will be worth it in the long run. Sweet dreams!