6 bad habits that are affecting your sleep | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Throw Away These 6 Bad Habits And Catch More Zzz's Once And For All

Believe it or not, there are better ways to fix a lack of sleep that don't include coffee or cold showers.

188
Sleeping

In This Article:

Every day I used to wake up wishing I could stay in bed for just a few more minutes, but I was always aware that it wasn't a possibility because I had to get to class. I had created a vicious cycle of going to bed much too late so that the next day I'd walk around like a zombie all day long with layers of bags under my eyes. It was something I had become so used to that I hadn't bothered looking into changing my routine.

After one night when I was extremely ill and took a NyQuil to allow myself to fall asleep, I realized the importance of a suitable amount of sleep holds in a person's life. That night, I was able to get 14 hours of sleep and felt completely replenished and rejuvenated the next day. Although 14 hours is excessive and not possible on most days given my busy schedule, I made a vow to myself to increase the number of hours I slept to around the doctor's recommended amount, nine.

At first, it was extremely hard because I possessed the misconception that if I kept up my old habits, I'd magically be able to get more sleep. It wasn't until I realized that I had to reform my routine and establish these seven tendencies if I wanted to acquire a desirable amount of sleep every night.

1. Tell your phone you need a break

I know many of us feel separation anxiety when we're away from our phones for an extended period of time, but it really is better to keep it in a separate room when you go to sleep. I hate to break it to you, but Instagram and Snapchat can wait until the morning. YOU NEED SLEEP!

I don't know how accurate it is when researchers claim that it's the rays from your phone that disturb your sleep, but there's one thing I know for certain: keeping it by your bed at night will minimize the amount of sleep you get.

The biggest reason I say to part ways with your phone at night is that it's SO DISTRACTING. I'll hear the slightest noise and figure it's my phone buzzing and then I'll need to check if I got a notification. Even if nobody texted me, I'll check every form of social media to see what everyone's up to. Suddenly I'll be cyberstalking my friend's cousin's sister's mom until four in the morning. It's better to have the phone nowhere in sight so you don't even think about checking it.

2. Leave the light for the day time

I always thought that the best method to fall asleep was to allow myself to watch television until I became drowsy and eventually dozed off. That plan would constantly backfire and I'd stay up for hours watching cooking shows until I finally discovered the chef that came out victorious.

I realized that the biggest issue was the light that the television provided. When I began getting tired and would close my eyes in hopes of falling asleep, the light of the television woke me right back up and was practically begging me to watch it.

This goes for night lights, as well. I grew up afraid of the dark like many others, so I'd attempt to sleep with a dim light by my bed. It wasn't until I grew older that I realized how distracting it was. Since I still don't enjoy being alone in the dark, I developed a plan to keep a night light on until I'm feeling pretty tired and then turn it off and try to go to sleep right away so I wouldn't even realize I was in the pitch dark.

3. Just because your friends are up doesn't mean you have to be

In high school, my friends would always want to FaceTime until all hours of the night or text about our late night thoughts. I always felt bad or lame to say I was going to sleep when I was aware that they'd be up for many more hours.

This issue grew even larger as I entered college and my friends could physically be with me all night long. Whether it's attending a party until 3 AM or just fooling around in the dorm, many college kids don't get enough sleep because they're busy socializing.

Having a social life is extremely important, but it doesn't need to occur past a certain time. I learned that taking care of my body was more important than watching a movie with friends until five in the morning and eventually grew the courage to tell my friends I was going to sleep early.

4. No matter how hard it is, don't procrastinate

Like everyone else, I love to save things until the last minute simply because I'm too invested in a Netflix show or literally anything else that doesn't include the thing I really need to do. Whether it's a chore, shopping for presents, or schoolwork, I would always wait until the very last second. Eventually, the due date would come around and then I'd be stuck doing whatever it is I had to do into all hours of the night.

There's such a simple solution to this: time management. Use any downtime to get things done in advance so that you don't need to pull an all-nighter the night before it's due.

5. No matter how hungry you are, it can wait until the morning

My family and I have always been ones to eat dinner pretty early so that when it became time to sleep, I felt like I needed to snack on something. This added usually an hour or more to my bedtime because it took time to choose and prepare and then one snack would lead to another.

Eating would also energize me because it forced me to get out of bed. Doing so made me realize that I had other tasks to do while I was up that I might as well do then because it seemed like I didn't have anything better to do... who cares about sleep?

I eventually told myself that if I fell asleep, I'd completely forget about my grumbling stomach and could satisfy it when I woke up. Doing so led to a tremendous difference in when I would go to sleep.

6. Napping: don't do it

There's nothing wrong with the occasional 20-minute nap, but for most of us, that short time will become four or five hours. Sleeping throughout the day seems like such a good idea at the moment, but when it comes time to fall asleep, it's impossible. Your body has become completely energized from the nap and it takes what feels like forever to fall asleep at night.

Taking a nap during the day creates a cycle where you go to bed extremely late, wake up exhausted, take a nap, and repeat. It's so much better to go to sleep early and feel great throughout the day until it's an appropriate time to go back to sleep.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

127529
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

28709
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

26682
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments