Many of us live in two-person, three-person, or even four-person dorm rooms, and suffer from insomnia - here are five tips to help get your sleep schedule back on track in a communal living arrangement!
1. Put away your laptop and phone at least an hour before you want to sleep. The human brain is very good at identifying patterns, and will confuse the light coming from screens as being evidence that it's not late enough in the day for sleep. In fact, studies show that a bright light in a dark room (such as a full-brightness laptop) suppress the production of sleep-inducing chemicals like melatonin. While we have grown up with the privilege of warding away boredom via the limitlessness entertainment of the internet, it's something dorm room insomniacs should try going without to correct their circadian cycle. Plus, your roomy might thank you!
2. Learn your roommate's schedule so you aren't constantly surprised by them. Not all roommates are created equal, of course, and some may be more private (or noncommittal) about their comings and goings - but if you've got good communication with your roomy, this can work wonders in cutting down on the anxiety-inducing uncertainty about when they'll be around. Many people, myself included, feel more comfortable falling asleep when their roommate is elsewhere during that process. Taking this point to heart may also improve communication between you and your roommate, so it doesn't hurt to try!
3. Cut back on the evening caffeine and sugar. Dorm life tempts all of us to tap in to our inner squirrels and stockpile junk food. Sometimes roommates can be enablers for each other in this regard. While you may have that big paper due in three days and there may just happen to be instant coffee on your desk, crying out to be made and consumed in the name of that elusive college productivity grind...avoid the temptation! Caffeine and to a lesser extent sugar can offset your natural sleep cycle and exacerbate sleeplessness.
4. Find your mental sleepy place. Just as we all have a 'happy place' that our mind goes in times of trouble, we can also conjure up a 'sleepy place' that soothes us and reduces our heart rate. One of the ways insomnia maintains itself is that it raises your heart rate as your become anxious about not falling asleep, thus making it harder to actually fall asleep. Your 'sleepy place' might even be the same as your 'happy place' - it could even be the stereotypical method of 'counting sheep'. Personally, I think about the ocean - especially the methodical rhythm of waves coming in and out, in and out with the tide. Once I match it mentally with my heart rate, I'm able to start slowing the thought and eventually my heart rate slows as well.
5. Coordinate on alarms with your roommate. This may go without saying, but one person's alarm in a room for two (or more) doesn't just ring in their ears alone! While this tip may deal with the opposite end of the sleep timeline, it plays in to getting good sleep in a shared living space. Coordinate with your roommate on when alarms should go off - maybe designate weekends as being alarm-free, for example.
These five tips have helped me out a ton in my communal living situation - like and share this post if you agree!
