Back to school season is an exciting time for many. After a long and hot summer, the winds of change are here and we as students and staff are back to in person education. While it is nice to slowly but surely get back to normal life, one of my favourite things about online school was the freedom it gave to my schedule, which has been significantly affected this year. I think what I am really trying to say is that I, like many of my fellow classmates and even teachers, kind of enjoyed sleeping in and staying up late without having to worry about driving into Burnaby for class the next day. This is obviously not a productive habit and it has now grown into some serious consequences, especially when it comes to our sleeping patterns. Good sleep is something that very few people have every night. Students in particular struggle with this a lot. It may not seem super important right now, but the long term effects poor sleep can have on an individual is frightening. I also struggle with getting a good night’s rest, so I did the research, and am very pleased to share with you some of the best tips I found for turning your sleep around.
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The first and most important step to improving your sleep is making a plan and sticking to it. You must choose a time you plan on going to bed and a time you plan on getting up in the morning. For example, my routine is going up to my room by nine o’clock at night, shutting the lights off at nine thirty, giving myself enough time to doze off at ten. I then wake up at six o’clock in the morning, which gives me eight hours of sleep each night. This is super important because training your body to slow down and speed up will help you fall asleep and wake up quicker, as well as give you more energy in the morning. You need to do your best to follow your sleeping program the best you can, even on weekends. The benefits of doing this far outweigh the flexibility you are giving up. Giving yourself structure can make you more productive, and more pleasant to be around. If you do not follow this vital step, you will be missing out on the complete benefit of combining the next two tips with it.
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Once you have created your own sleeping times and stuck with it for a while, now is the time to consider the changes you need to make to your sleeping environment. The most common change most people need to make is the removal of electronic use before bed. Over stimulating yourself before you sleep is a disaster waiting to happen because it greatly hinders your ability to fall asleep on time. Missing out on extra sleep means that you are not getting the proper deep rest you need to fully recharge yourself. This may be the reason you feel extra groggy in the morning. Headaches and migraines are also a symptom of this bad habit. I personally recommend unplugging yourself an hour before you plan on going to bed. This will give your body enough time to wind down and get into that deep sleep we all crave. I understand that this is going to be a great challenge for many people, which is why I suggest you use alternative sources to electronics to get your fill of late night, information, entertainment, or whatever else you want. Newspapers, books, and magazines are perfect examples of what you can be doing instead of watching television or going on your phone. Our average screen times have skyrocketed since the pandemic, so why not try and lower it in order to get some quality rest?
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This next step is not required, but is definitely recommended if you have followed the last two steps to a tee and are still having issues with falling asleep. Using supplements has been heavily stigmatized, but that does not mean that they are not safe and effective. Melatonin is my personal choice for sleeping aids, and I seriously recommend adding it to your nighttime routine if you are comfortable trying it. Using the proper dosages that come with your product pose no serious side effects. Our bodies already naturally produce melatonin so supplementing it will just increase the timeliness and effectiveness of what your body already does. In my personal experience, I have only needed to use it when my sleep times have not been in sync throughout the week. This helps me get back on track, so I only need to use it sparingly but it may be different for you. If you are not comfortable trying melatonin, another strategy I can advise is being aware of your sugar and caffeine consumption. Caffeine takes a long time to wear off, so not consuming any after the morning is a good idea to prime your body for an easy sleep. The same goes for sugar but to a lesser degree. I cannot speak to the effectiveness of other types of sleeping aids such as CBD because I have not tried them myself.
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Incorporating these tips and tricks into your life should hopefully improve your sleep. Having all of this information is great, but it will not help you if you are not willing to be disciplined with it. If you are not interested in using melatonin, that is totally fine. Keeping regular sleep times and removing electronics before bed will already significantly boost your quality of rest. You may not require eight hours or more, so I recommend that you listen to your body and make the proper adjustments as you see fit. Life is not always linear, and it is completely normal to make mistakes along the way. What is really important is to maintain a positive attitude and persevere through the ups and downs you may face in your sleeping journey. Sweet dreams!