To all my back to school college students, welcome home! I'm sure you're excited to be back to your favorite campus for all the fun the fall brings. As for everyone else, this article is for you too! Everyone needs a good night of rest to be on point during the day. Here's my go-to routine to get a good night's sleep in a dorm (or anywhere).
Start out with set boundaries if you're sharing your sleeping space. As long as your roomie can be quiet at an agreed time and so can you, everything should start out alright. Be sure all your sleeping agreements are mutual, including lights, music/headphone usage, tv, guests, etc, communication is always key. The next step is to keep your bed as it should be, your bed. Try your best not to eat meals or do homework under the covers -even keeping to sitting on the end of your bed will help your body understand that being under the covers is time to sleep.
Once it's about time to settle in, be sure to either lose the electronics or at least turn on the blue light filter in the settings. (Bonus tip: if you use a phone or computer throughout the day, try getting blue light filtering glasses. They'll help with tech headaches and sleeplessness!) Next, either take a warm shower or wash your face. Whatever level of skincare routine you do is fine, but having one will help your mind and body transition to sleep mode. At this point, I will change into comfortable clothes and lay out what I want to wear the next day.
Another major tip I have is to use a scented candle or essential oils in a diffuser. (PLEASE check the rules for where you live.. AKA, don't use candles in your dorm and be safe with fire always.) Having a calming scent -vanilla and lavender are my favorites- will help you get to that relaxed place we want to be in. After time, this scent will be a mini trigger to your trained body that its time to unwind. After setting up my aromatherapy, if I have time, I usually will journal or at least plan out my day for the morning while drinking some tea or water. This helps me relax my mind so that I don't feel like I'm forgetting something. Since my sleep cycle is a little off, I'll usually take some melatonin sleep gummies about half an hour before I actually lay down to sleep. I wouldn't recommend any type of sleep aid until you truly need help resetting your sleep cycle. However, taking a half dosage of melatonin, like I occasionally do, isn't going to ruin your natural ability to get to sleep. (And of course, always ask your doctor first, as I have zero business advising people medically)
After this, I will brush my teeth and take care of any other things I've left for the end of the day; I'll put away clean laundry or pick up dirty clothes. Having a clean space is crucial to help your entire mind relax. Once I'm done making my room a little bit more organized, I've started to do some breathing exercises stolen straight from my University choir. After turning off any harsh lights (I leave my Christmas lights on -mood lighting) I'll do some breathing: in for a five-count, holding for six, and exhaling controlled for seven, really helps me physically and mentally relax. With your eyes closed, I recommend doing three sets, then increasing the counts by one each round and doing three to five sets total depending on what works best for you. This exercise helps your heart rate come down and helps relax the body and mind.
Finally, I'll put on some lotion, hit the lights, and get to sleep. To send you off with blessings of restful sleep, here are a few quick do not's:
1. Hype music past 10 pm.
2. Homework/studying in bed.
3. Snacks before sleep.
4. Tv. In. Bed. (Also YouTube, Instagram, etc.)
5. Keep your weekly sleep schedule as consistent as possible.
Sweet dreams!
