I am a sleepy girl. I am a nap queen. My favorite time of day is bedtime. I know everyone isn’t like me, but I know there are lots of people who are. It’s hard being a sleepy, busy student with a job and responsibilities on the side. Sometimes it feels damn near impossible to have a good sleep schedule in college because all the fun things happen after 11 P.M. and if you’re like me, you have serious FOMO. So here are some easy tips for sleepy peeps who want to nap as much and as often as possible and still be part of the action and fun.
1. DON’T rely entirely on caffeine in any form!
Energy drinks/shots and coffee are great but you cannot feasibly live your life driven purely by caffeine. It’s not healthy. Now, I’m not a hypocrite - I drink several Monster Energy Drinks a week, but I have rules for them. I never have one after 4 P.M., I only have one when I know I’m going to be up past 11 P.M., and if I know I have lots of work to do. It might be a good idea to set up some rules or limits when you’re going to intake caffeine. If you break them, you will definitely feel the consequences the next morning.
2. Drink plenty of water during the day!
I’m talking at least 2 liters. I drink tons of seltzer and regular flat water during the day and the more water I drink, the better I feel when I put my head down at night. It’ll help keep you energized, focused and ready for anything the day throws your way.
3. Try to keep track of your weekly schedule
I have a wipe board calendar that I use to write down my classes, work schedule, appointments and meetings as well as plans with friends. I color-coordinate for each activity and make sure I give myself big chunks of time during the week to lay my head down in the afternoon. Try to give yourself one day where you can nap freely and without worry, and if you can’t do this, try to get to bed at a reasonable hour and get plenty of sleep during the night.
4. Don’t take naps too late in the day
If I take a nap after 4 P.M., I will not sleep that night until after midnight or later. I wind up waking up from the nap around 7 at night and I get very confused. I’ll wake up and it’ll be dark outside and I’ll feel very disoriented, not to mention wide awake come midnight. If I’m going to nap, I generally put my head down between 1 and 2 in the afternoon.
5. Set alarms
When I sleep, sometimes I’m afraid I’ll oversleep and miss whatever I have planned. Set alarms! Lots of them! Every few minutes! If you’re a heavy sleeper like me, make sure you have a sure-fire way to wake up on time, be it through an alarm, a roommate or other friend who’s around. Don’t run late because you were sleeping! It’s also a good idea to give yourself a few extra minutes to wake up and become alert before you make your way to your destination.
6. Don’t be afraid to say “no”
Friends want to hang out but they want to go to the bar or play video games at 10? You don’t get out of work until 10:30 and people invite you to go out after? You have a test in the morning or just a class you need to be alert and ready for before 10 A.M.? Don’t go. Your friends won’t be mad if you sit out a night to catch up on sleep, especially if you tell them you’re feeling run-down. If they’re good friends, they’ll understand.
7. Learn to listen to your body
You ever get home after a long day and feel okay but once you actually sit down and take a breath, you feel like you might pass out? That’s your body telling you that you’re overtired. Just like you listen to it when it tells you you’re hungry or thirsty, you need to listen to your body when it tells you that you’re tired. Taking a nap isn’t giving up, it’s recharging! Taking an hour or two to rest and relax will probably make the quality of your work much better, anyway.
8. Weekend all-nighters aren’t bad every once in a while, but don’t make a habit out of it
It takes two full weeks of more than 8 hours of sleep a night to recover one bad night’s sleep. Imagine how long it would take to make up for an all-nighter? They’re not inherently bad, but use them wisely, and make sure you get a good night’s sleep that night.
9. Don’t procrastinate!
Procrastinating and leaving your work til the last minute will cut into your sleeping time. The earlier you finish working, the sooner you can start winding down for bed and have some “me time” before you actually put your head down onto the pillow. Give yourself time to do a relaxing routine - wash your face, brush your hair and teeth, get your bag ready for your next day. That way you don’t have to rush in the morning and can take your time getting ready.
10. Healthy eating habits are just as important as healthy sleeping habits
A good diet can only help you sleep. Eating at normal hours (8 A.M. for breakfast, between 12-2 P.M. for lunch and before 9 P.M. for dinner) is a huge help for your digestive system and can help you sleep at night by preventing upset stomachs. Greasy food also takes a long time to settle in the stomach and could keep you tossing and turning for a few hours. Try something light for dinner and a bigger meal in the middle of the day.
11. Don’t be afraid of sleep aids (but know what you’re using and how much)
Melatonin is great, but it is possible to take too much. Zzz-Quill, Tylenol and Advil PM are some good ones too, the latter two especially for headaches and pains. Other sleep aids an be prescribed by a doctor, but some can be addictive. Be careful and follow your physician’s directions carefully.
12. Download white noise/calming/meditation apps
White noise apps are great to help you fall asleep if you feel restless. The calming noises often have deep breathing prompts and meditation examples as well, and guide you to a relaxed state. Most apps let you choose the kind of sound you want, be it heavy rain on a window, fog in the morning by a stream, a beautiful summer day, or waves crashing on a beach.
13. Try actually meditating!
Meditation is great for relaxation. Even if you don’t plan to sleep after, try meditating for a few minutes every day. I like to meditate as soon as I reach my destination when I’ve had a particularly rage-inducing car ride. I sit down and take deep breaths and put on some quiet, calming music. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube and apps to guide you through until you can try it on your own.
14. When you sleep, try not to have electronic distractions around
I know I’m guilty of this: I’m always on my phone or my laptop right before bed, and I watch TV before I go to sleep. This is a bad idea! Most experts agree that the shades of blue and white light that come from our screens block sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain, making us feel more awake. Try to stay away from electronics up to 1 hour before bedtime. If you like to fall asleep to a TV, turn the volume down, turn down the brightness, and set a timer on your television (most models have a timer) to automatically turn off after you fall asleep.
15. ASMR
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is the calming, tingling sense you get when someone maybe plays with your hair, or scratches your back or gives you a massage. That relaxing feeling often makes one feel sleepy. There are thousands of videos on YouTube to choose from and dozens of different genres - haircuts, doctor’s appointments, makeup applications, and just simple sounds. Pick and choose which ones you like most and make yourself a playlist to fall asleep to. Most of these videos are 20 minutes in length or more.
16. Walk/drive around with calming music in the background
A good, long walk or drive always calms me down. It lets me think quietly to myself and process the events of the day. Being in a quiet environment and being able to deconstruct the day and come to terms with everything that happened. Most of my friends agree that they do something similar and it helps them as well.
17. Plan your bathing
This sounds weird, but hear me out: does a warm shower or bath at night make you feel sleepy and relaxed? Does a cool shower in the morning wake you up? Bathing can be very relaxing or it can pump you up and get you ready for your day. Bathe accordingly.
18. R E A D
Revolutionary, I know, but reading always puts me to sleep, especially if I do it in bed in a comfortable position. It’s better for your eyes than being on your phone and will always make you feel relaxed. Even if you’re not a big reader, pick a book you can get into, but not so into that you won’t be able to put it down, and read before bed until you can’t keep your eyes open.
19. Listen to instrumental music
Instrumental music is always relaxing. There aren’t words to distract us and we focus more on the melody, which makes our brain work in a different way. It’s proven that instrumental music is more relaxing than music with lyrics. There are plenty of playlists on YouTube and Spotify that can help you out.
20. Do not use Adderall, Ritalin, or any other stimulant not prescribed to you for your own use by a doctor or medical professional.
It may not seem like a big deal, but they are narcotics and is prescribed as such. It is a big deal and you should not be taking it if it is not prescribed to you directly. As someone who’s seen the effects of drugs on friends, let me tell you, it isn’t worth it.
