A good night’s sleep in hard to come by as a college student. I know I definitely don’t get my eight hours of sleep. Sleep is essential to everything function in our bodies and in our minds. With finals coming up soon, here are 4 tips so you can catch those ZZZs and wake up more refreshed.
- Unplug and Unwind
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Unplug your laptop, turn off Netflix, and stay off social media. Electronics can emit a blue light that has been found to suppress melatonin production. Melatonin is key to controlling your sleep cycle, and a decrease in this will hurt your sleep. Times often vary in how long before bed you should switch off your screen, but most sources say keep them off at least an hour before bed. Another great way to limit blue light exposure is to turn on a night mode on your devices. These night modes make the screens more yellow/warm-toned and help keep blue light away.
- Do Something Relaxing
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End your day with something that makes you happy and calms you down. Read a chapter from your favorite book. Write down your thoughts and dreams in a journal. Try taking a relaxing bath with bubbles and candles. Listen to a podcast or your favorite playlist. Or even do yoga/meditate to unwind. You can even do this between studying to give yourself a break and stay focused.
- Limit your Naps
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Napping is one of my favorite things in the world so this tip is a tough one for me. It’s best to keep naps during the day to a max of 20 minutes so you don’t disrupt your regular sleeping schedule. Make sure to set an alarm so you don’t oversleep! The Mayo Clinic also suggests not taking naps after 3 pm. Lastly, take your naps in a room without distractions and low light.
- Set the Mood
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Setting the mood and perfecting your sleep environment are major parts of any good night’s rest. First, leave work out of your bed. Doing homework in bed will make that space a work area and not a sleeping area. It will be distracting when you are trying to rest. Next, set the lighting. Turn off the overhead lights and turn on a warm lamp to signal to your body that’s it’s time to wind down. Keep your room cool. Your ideal sleep space should be between 60-67 degrees to help cool the body and naturally increase your sleepiness. Lastly, I love to use a lavender mist on my pillows or lavender hand cream to help calm my senses and send me right to dreamland.
These 4 tips should help you create a more relaxing evening and perfect your nighttime routine. Added tips include not eating after 8 pm and cutting out caffeine after 3 pm. With all these things combined, you will be off to the best night’s sleep and you can rock those finals. Sweet Dreams!