Lying in bed, you stare at the ceiling of your room and scold yourself for not going to bed sooner. You toss and turn, but you still can’t fall asleep–and you have a test first period tomorrow morning. You’re frustrated and feel like there is nothing left to do. “Should I just pull an all-nighter now? I mean, sleeping for only a couple of hours isn’t worth it.” For the nights when you start thinking like this, here are nine helpful tips to help the dream-catcher in you.
1. Soak – take a nice, warm salt bath to help relax your muscles before bed. The salt cleanses your skin and opens your pores, while the warm water heating up your skin is cozier than your snuggie. Getting clean at night has some serious benefits, one of them being that you can skip a shower in the morning and get a few extra minutes of sleep.
2. Routine – as fun and important as it is to relax and rest up on the weekends, it can mess up your inner clock during the week. To keep your rhythm on tempo, it’s helpful to have a routine; keep up your usual pre-bed wash up rituals, and try to get up earlier than 11am on Sundays so you can fall asleep at a decent hour that night, allowing for a rested, refreshed start to the week.
3. Stop listing – listing all of the things you should be doing when you’re trying to fall asleep stresses you out and excites your mind–two things that will not help you sleep. If you really need to make a list, write it down before you go to bed, so your mind is calm once you’re tucked in.
4. Breathe – your body may be exhausted, but your mind could still be racing from the day. Take a minute to concentrate on your breathing, which forces your mind to relax. As frustrating as it is, don’t get your sheets in a tangle–worrying about the sleep you’re not getting will only give you less sleep.
5. Drink warm milk or tea – Before you slip on your pajamas, drinking something warm like milk or decaffinated tea will help relax your body and get your mind ready for bed.
6. Cut it out – as tempting as that midnight snack seems, don’t eat or drink anything sugary too close to bedtime. Soda and candy, no matter how delicious, can make you hyper and can cause uncomfortable bloating while lying in bed. Eating too soon before bedtime can slow your metabolism in order to shut down your body for sleep, which is also a common reason for weight gain, so take your last bite of cake an hour before you turn off the lights.
7. Soothing songs – whether it is classical music or just slow songs, a “sleep” playlist always helps me fall into a snooze. Make sure the songs do not have loud sections to keep them from disturbing you as you are about to fall into a slumber. If headphones are uncomfortable for you while sleeping, consider getting a pillow speaker.
8. Stay away from your bed – try not to lie in your bed before it’s time to sleep. Although it looks soft and comfortable, the less time you spend in bed before you are ready to sleep, the better. Wait until it’s time to sleep to lie down–when you do, it will feel that much better.
9. Turn it off – even if you tell yourself that you’re just going to update your Instagram, a minute always finds a way to turn into an hour–so just to be safe, stay away from your phone or computer while you lie in bed. The bright lights knock you out of your sleep mode and stimulate your brain. Researchers, including those at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, found that the use of mobile phones, TVs, and computers before bedtime often affected the body’s clock and contributed to lack of sleep. These devices can be very tempting, but don’t give in if you’re hoping to get a good night’s sleep.
So what are you waiting for? Turn off your computer and go to sleep!
