As students, we’ve hit that time in the semester when stress is at its highest and sleep is at its lowest. With school, work, a social life, and other life factors that can keep us busy, the sleep struggle is never-ending. To combat this, here are a few ways you can work on your sleep schedule to ensure you’re rested enough to handle tomorrow’s stress.
Create a Sleep Schedule
The biggest piece of advice I found was to create a consistent sleep schedule and stick with it. Having a routine before bed naturally gets your body tired as your brain grows accustomed to being tired at a certain hour. For starters, you’ll want to establish a set bedtime and begin your routine one to two hours before this. Your routine should be customized to your liking, but Sleep Doctor recommends including activities like reading, drinking tea, meditating, and having a warm bath, anything that will relax you, honestly. Once you’ve settled on a routine, it’s essential to stay consistent. It’ll be hard at first, but worth it once it becomes second nature.
Manage Stress and Anxiety
A significant loss of sleep comes from stress, as Saprea discusses. Sleep can be blocked by anxious thoughts or worries that cloud the mind, so they advise replacing these thoughts with positive ones that calm the mind. Saprea suggests thoughts along the lines of “I am safe and calm”, “My bed is comfortable”, or “I am ready for rest”, but let your mind wander to wherever you’re at your calmest. Of course, this is easier said than done, but there are ways to handle the pre-sleep anxieties. Sleep Doctor also recommends listening to music or meditating before bed, so you can listen to your favourite album or try out a relaxing podcast. Some podcasts that friends have recommended to me appear on the meditation app Calm, specifically one titled “Letting go into sleep”, narrated and written by Tara Brach. Otherwise, I’ve heard that Matthew McConaughey has quite a calming voice, so listening to him narrate his books might also do the trick.Â
Try a “Sleepy Girl Mocktail”
Lacking sleep can put one in a slump, but a fun recipe might pull you out. Recently, a “sleepy girl mocktail” recipe was trending on TikTok, so why not make a fun beverage to help you sleep? TikTok user serotoninwithin’s video shows a recipe that includes the following: tart cranberry juice, magnesium, and sparkling water (or something similar to cut the bitter cranberry juice). In the same TikTok, she discusses the different kinds of magnesium, which are magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate. She warns that magnesium citrate can have laxative effects, so look into the differences and ensure you’re choosing the right kind for you. Alyssa Sybertz wrote an article delving into other benefits and downsides to consider when making your choice.
Sleep Aids
If you’ve settled into a routine, meditated, and drank your sleepy mocktail but are continuously having difficulty sleeping, it’s worth trying sleep aids. Some over-the-counter medication recommended by Mayo Clinic includes diphenhydramine (Benadryl), doxylamine (Unisom), Melatonin, or Valerian. These can come in pill formats or in liquid drops, depending on your preference. However, Mayo Clinic cautions users that despite the great benefits, some may feel groggy the morning after using a sleeping aid. Additionally, it’s easy for our bodies to build a tolerance for sleep aids, as the more often we take them, the less tired they’ll make us feel. To avoid this, sleeping aids should be taken infrequently.
Try Drinking Tea
Outside of medication, many teas include ingredients that can benefit sleep. Cleveland Clinic lists chamomile, lavender, valerian root, or herbal teas as the best before-bed beverage to help you fall asleep. Plus, drinking tea can contribute to your before-bed routine, so you may as well hit two birds with one stone here!
Sleep is an essential part of our physical and mental well-being, and struggling with it is an experience no student should undergo. So if you’re lying awake every night, endlessly waiting for sleep, hopefully you can try out these tips and see better results. And if the struggle continues, it might be worth seeing a doctor to receive additional help. Otherwise, try out these tips tonight and enjoy a good night’s rest!