Sleep can be hard to come by for many college students. Sometimes, even a special effort to get to bed early can backfire, ending with a long sleepless night spent staring at the ceiling.
However, by following a few tips and avoiding some bad habits, you can improve your chance of getting some sleep.
College students believe that sleeping in on the weekends is a good way to catch up on sleep according to Dr. Daniel McNally, the Medical Director of Sleep Disorders at UConn Health Center in Farmington. However, doing this only disrupts the sleeping pattern more and will not help you sleep in the long run.
There are many remedies to help you fall asleep on a regular basis that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine.
Warm Glass of Milk: One way to get to sleep faster is to use your mother's traditional anecdote and drink a warm glass of milk. The milk contains a chemical called tryptophan, which may promote sleep in some people.
Exercise: Exercising on a regular basis can help you to fall asleep at night. But avoid exercising within three hours of bedtime because exercise stimulates the body by speeding up the heart rate and metabolism, so even though you think it will tire you out, in reality it will wake you up.
Bed usage: Your bed should only be used for sleeping and sex. Reading and watching TV in bed will confuse your body and make it hard to fall asleep in it. If your mind relates your bed only to sleeping, it will be easier to fall asleep once you hit the sheets.
Read a book: If you cannot sleep after 15 minutes of getting into bed, get up and read a book. Make sure the book is a boring one, because reading something interesting, watching TV or going on the computer will stimulate your mind and keep you up longer.
"Most of the time I can't sleep because I'm thinking about what I have to do the when I wake up the next day," said Catherine Bisanzo, a 4th semester human development and family studies major. "But if I read a book, it relaxes my mind and I'm able to fall asleep easier."
Create a nightly ritual: Having a regular routine that begins about 30 minutes before you go to bed can help to release stressful thoughts, so when you get into bed you are ready to sleep. Activities like taking a hot bath or listening to relaxing music are non-stimulating activities that are good to do before bed.
Get sunlight: Sunlight helps regulate your circadian clock and makes you tired at night. Sunlight stimulates your body to produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle.
"Morning sunlight is most essential because it stimulates the body clock to start working right when you get up," said McNally.
Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine: According to McNally, drinking may helps you fall asleep quickly, but it can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Once the alcohol is metabolized it will cause a rebound in the blood sugar and a withdrawal, so you end up still feeling tired the next day.
Cigarettes contain nicotine with is a stimulant, so smoking before bed could lead to you staying awake longer.
Caffeine should not be consumed after noon to be assured that you get a good night's sleep. People who are sensitive to caffeine should not consume it six hours before bed.
Contact Liz Connelly at Elizabeth.Connelly
@UConn.edu
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