Now that it is officially eigth week that I think I can safely say that I am sleep deprived. Heck, I've been sleep deprived since the first week. But anyhow, as my plate continues to increase in impending doom which I call my incomplete assignments, my minimum willingness to work decreases. How utterly tragic. Time to be grouchy and negate responsibilities... Woo!
Ladies, other humans, and suspiciously intelligent apes, step right up to the list of all lists! A list that both helps you procrastinate (less) and maximize sleep!
1. Turn off or unplug
This first one you've probably heard from your parents before. I am basically a 60 year-old grandma who despises excess technology, so deal with it. To ensure a good night's rest, you should leave yourself 30 minutes to an hour's time to simply allow your mind to unwind. Turn off that Facebook/Instagram/whatever-hip-application-you-kids-are-into-these-days. Let yourself do whatever it wants to do, whether it be write in a journal, read a book, doodle, or even just think. Let your mind just be.
2. sleepyti.me
Since our sleep works in 90-minute cycles, this handy website can do two magical things for your sleep. Whether you have to wake up at a certain time and want to guarantee that you wake up feeling refreshed and not groggy, or want to find out when you should wake up if you sleep now... this is the website for you! Simply put in what time you have to wake up, and Bam! There it is: all the times you should fall asleep to wake up less-than-death-groggy.
3. fl.ux
If you've known me for a while, I've probably pestered you to get this application. It gets rid of that eerie blue glow your various mini-screens for when you're up 200 hours in the middle of the night writing that paper due at 9 a.m. the next morning this morning. Do it right now, in fact. The amount of yellowness is entirely customizable, and best of all... It's free!
4. Have a sleep schedule
This one may be kind of a stretch (just a little more than a little)... At least try though. Give yourself a time to go to bed. Whether that "time" be sometime between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. or 2 a.m. on the dot, give your body some sense of stability. Have a set time to go to sleep, and a set time to wake up. Just do it; your body will thank you. After doing this, I have transitioned myself from the groggy don't-talk-to-me-before-10 a.m.-unless-you-have-a-death-wish Rosie to that-weird-chick-who-watches-the-sunrise-everyday. It has been glorious.
5. Nap
While the last one seemed like a stretch, this one just seems like common sense. Just bear with me OK? Nap. It is the Nutella egg of all runny yolk eggs. But don't just nap randomly. You've got to nap strategically. Divvy up your naps sometime before 5 p.m. If you're tired after 5 p.m. and want to nap, fight it. If you let yourself nap after 5 p.m., you will hate yourself later when you lay in bed trying your best to sleep but your mind is just wide awake. Also, make sure your naps are between 15-20 minutes long, otherwise you'll wake up groggy. When I do this personally, I account for the 14 minutes it takes the average person to fall asleep, so I set a timer for 29-34 minutes.
6. Meditate
Do it before bed, or do it when you wake up. Heck - do it both times! Just do it. Give yourself 10 minutes, sitting cross-legged or slouching in your beanbag or leaning on some pillows, with your eyes closed, just thinking and being mindful. Focus on your deep breathing, and focus on the movement of your chest going up-down-up-down as your lungs fill with air. Focus on how your body feels, not the impending doom that has dug itself a hole in your backpack. Let your mind wander elsewhere, not to material objects, not to your impending doom, maybe to a meadow, a rainforest, a beach, the sunshine, mars, the moon, a cat's fur.
Thank me later. Preferably after this week. This week I will be residing in a little place I call my backpack, wrestling the impending doom. It'll be a blast. Goodnight, goodbye, sleep dreams and sweet well.
