November is National Sleep Comfort Month, a time to celebrate a good night’s sleep that is promoted by doctors and mattress manufacturers alike. As college students, it is extremely important that we get enough sleep so we can function in our daily (and often times, hectic) lives. Here are three easy, helpful methods to get the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had in college:
1. Turn off the connections. With the entire world now in the palm of our hands, it’s not a surprise that cell phones have turned into a major distraction from getting rest. An easy way to combat this is simply turning them off when it reaches a certain hour. Or, if your phone is also the only way you wake up, disabling data or enabling airplane mode will stop jarring notifications.
2. Have a relaxation routine. Sleep isn’t the only step to resting; relaxing before sleep is also crucial. Develop a routine where you let the stress of the day melt away before your head hits the pillow. Some ideas are reading a chapter of your favorite book, listening to calming music, meditating or just watching TV shows that allow your mind to take a break from strenuous thinking.
3. Reduce environmental distractions. Dorms do not have a reputation for being calm at any time of day, so it’s up to individual residents to stop the distractions. Sleeping with an eye mask will keep it dark enough for your brain to rest, and investing either in a white noise machine or app will help block out the sounds of others and allow you to better sleep. My personal favorite is “White Noise Lite,” which works without an internet connection and provides sounds from white noise to plane cabin for users to listen to while resting.