A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece on how a typical college student’s nighttime routine goes. At the time, the article seemed to perfectly sum up my entire night: late snacks and social media. As school came to an end, I thought that this routine would change for the better. I thought that finally I would be able to go to bed at a reasonable time. Boy was I wrong!
The last couple weeks I have tried my best to sleep early, but to no avail. I somehow always end up sleeping at two in the morning. The reasons why I am up this late are kind of stupid. I can’t stop watching Netflix or I can’t fall asleep or it’s too hot. Ah, it’s kind of frustrating! There is some sort of disconnect between what I want/need and what is actually happening. My body is unable to simply fall asleep, so I am left watching TV, complaining about the temperature, or lying in my bed contemplating life for what feels like an eternity.
This week, though, I tried a few new things to get me to sleep and wake up early. For the first time in forever, I did not need a nap throughout the day to catch up on my sleep. I was able to sleep pretty well. In light of that, I decided to write this article to detail what seems to be currently working in hopes that other people can experience eight wonderful hours of sleep.
1. Don’t take day naps.
Trust me. Once you get rid of those naps, you will be more tired at night. I used to take a nap around five that lasted for three hours. The naps were really late in the day, and by the time midnight hit I could not fall asleep because I was not tired. So what did I do to stop me from napping? I just tried to not to fall asleep during my usual nap time by taking my mind off things and being more active. I, essentially, avoided couches and beds so I was not tempted by their comfort. It seems to be working because by 10 (even nine sometimes) I am already tired. After I get to bed, I fall asleep really quickly, which is great.
2. Reward yourself with small things.
Now, this one is pretty common when you are trying to break bad habits. If you reward yourself when you are doing something right, then you will be more likely to do it again. Every time you go to bed before a certain time give yourself something that you like the next day. The last days I have been rewarding myself with Netflix. If I am able to fall asleep by 10 and wake up by seven, I allot some time during my day for TV. Believe me, I have been able to kill two birds with one stone. I have been able to sleep better and slowly stop my binge-watching habits.
3. It's all about that order in your life!
I am still in the process of trying new things to find different ways of perfecting the art of sleep. The things that I am currently doing are establishing some sort of routine or schedule amidst all the laziness and chaos of summer. That is exactly the key part of having a good night of sleep, so start by establishing some sort of order in your life. You will see that you sleep a whole lot better.
