Help! I Can't Sleep! | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Help! I Can’t Sleep!

Having trouble sleeping? Here are some tips to help you get your necessary beauty sleep.

43
Help! I Can’t Sleep!

In This Article:

We have all had trouble sleeping before. Whether it be stress, illness, loud neighbors, or just an inability to shut down our brains, a lack of sleep really is no laughing matter. In fact, studies show that eventually, it could kill you. This is due to a variety of reasons. A lack of proper rest decreases our reaction time, which increases the rates of car accidents. Sleep deprivation also takes a toll on the immune system and your mental and emotional health. We all need sleep (ideally 8 hours a night for adults), but many of us aren't getting it. Here are some helpful tips to resolve this issue:

Have a set bedtime.

live.staticflickr.com

It's no secret that human beings like and are productive within comfortable routines, and making it a habit to go to bed at the same time every night helps your body regulate itself, according to the National Sleep Foundation. If you go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. for enough days in a row, eventually you won't need an alarm clock. Your body will recognize the routine and manage your melatonin levels for you.

Stop eating and drinking before bed.

live.staticflickr.com

Your body doesn't like to be digesting while you're trying to sleep. Having too much food in your stomach while lying down can actually make you nauseous as well. As for the drinking, having your sleep interrupted by a 2am bathroom break is never helpful. There are numerous risks to eating before bed, and it is recommended that you stop snacking at least a couple of hours before.

Put your phone down.

live.staticflickr.com

The blue light emitted from your phone, tablet, computer etc. increases activity and suppresses Melatonin production. Having that constant activity makes it difficult for the brain to slow down and rest, and throws off your circadian rhythm. If you set aside your screens for a half hour before bed, this gives your mind a chance to relax and slow down, helping you be ready to shut your eyes the minute your head reaches your pillow.

Stay away from your bed during the day.

cdn.pixabay.com

If you designate your bed as the place where you sleep, the association with it and rest will stick with you. Don't sit on your bed working hard on your next paper. Designate it as a sacred place to rest. Just as the office and your desk are where you work, and are more productive at, so your bed will be your designated sleep location. It's also just bad for you to stay in bed all day.

Melatonin - a miracle worker.

upload.wikimedia.org

So let's say your sleep schedule has been off for some time, and you just can't seem to fall asleep at a decent hour. In combination of continued effort and consistently getting up at the same time every morning, taking some medicine will do the trick to get your drowsy. While there are designated sleeping pills out there, many of them are unpleasantly strong and can you leave you feeling like a zombie. Melatonin is the chemical your body produces for sleep, so it's a natural alternative.

Now, with your newfound knowledge, go catch up on your sleep! You deserve a good night's rest. In fact, doing so may just save your life.

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

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

300620
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments