Insomnia: one of the many enemies a college student faces, right next to exams and the food selection on Sundays. There is no doubt that everyone has experienced this sleep disorder at least a few times in their life — especially people in college who are balancing morning classes and late night parties. While most people might think, “I’ll just go to bed earlier and that should fix it,” it is actually not that simple. However, in this article, you might learn that with just a few adjustments to your bedtime routine it is not actually that hard either.

There is a different solution to this tiring (literally) problem for everyone. Some of these may not work for you, while one might be all you need. Listed below are ways you can fight insomnia.

Try going to bed around the same time.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep your body on the right track when going to bed. Our bodies are like a machine, but unfortunately they do not always understand when we need to get up. Going to bed at precisely the same time as much as possible is a good start to fighting insomnia. This does not necessarily mean you have to get up at the same time, since each day you need a different amount of sleep. If you are able to achieve a similar bedtime for a few days, you may start to notice you will get tired around that time each night. This is a great first step in trying to get a routine sleep schedule.

Relax before bed.

Around the hour or so before you go to bed, try to avoid doing anything that involves staring at a screen for a long period of time or anything that keeps you active. Exercising close to when you would normally go to bed rarely works for most people. The best thing to do before bed is to read, meditate, or to do an activity that you find relaxing. Technology should especially be avoided since the light can stimulate the brain, making it think it is still daylight out, thus making you more awake. Try to plan and achieve any strenuous work you have to do earlier in the day instead of around night time. Many college students put off more challenging projects closer to bed, which can lead to fighting to keep your eyes open. This is a major cause for not only loss of sleep but also for messed up sleep schedules.

Have a comfortable sleeping environment.

Consider the room you sleep in. Make sure the blinds are closed, the room has little to no distractions, and you generally feel comfortable sleeping in it. Some people sleep better with sounds such as a radio, television, or sound machine. here is a no-brainer: the darker the room, the better. Even small fragments of light can sometimes creep in our room and disrupt our sleep pattern. Get rid of anything in your room that is stimulating, such as a laptop, a phone, or a TV. Clocks can also be a culprit of Insomnia, whether it is on a phone, alarm clock, or watch. Resting in a room where you are either far away from a clock or cannot see one is best when trying to sleep.

Try to catch some chilled Zzzz's

Chilly may or may not be an exaggeration for this tip, but numerous studies have found that having a cold room, as opposed to a room temperature one, is more beneficial for falling asleep. You should not be in bed shivering, but research suggests setting the thermostat to around 65 degrees. Coolness will vary from person to person, but find a temperature that makes it super comfortable to bundle up with your blanket and hibernate. In addition to potentially providing improved rest, sleeping in colder rooms has some proven health advantages, including skin benefits and burning more calories! I would strongly suggest trying this, as I have been sleeping in such an environment for years now with noticeable improvement in my sleep.

What’s on your mind?

While it may be common that certain events or periods in your life distract or change you, it is not normal for those things to severely disrupt your sleep cycle. Anxiety, depression, stress, or even overworking yourself can keep you awake at night, so consider everything that you are doing in your life and what is on your mind. Most of you have probably heard the phrase “Sleep on it”, but this should actually not be considered for most scenarios. If you have an issue that you think might be a cause of your sleep problems, keep in mind that you will most likely not figure it out overnight. Similarly, worrying about not falling asleep can also prevent you from doing so. Try to clear your mind before going to bed and focus on relaxing. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones, and when laying in bed, the less you think about, the better.