I know when I head up to my room after a long day, all I want is a restful night's sleep, so I can wake up the next day recharged and ready to go. Then, when I lay in bed looking up at my ceiling, that's my view for the next three hours. My mind is racing from a stressful day, and I can tell my eyes just want to close. My phone is calling out to me and I spend those three hours on Instagram, or my body just can't get comfortable. A lot of people suggest Ways to get better sleep when they see you with dark circles under your eyes, looking like the ghosts of college student's past.
Sleeping better can help prevent diseases and just make you feel better overall.
1. Keep your bedroom dark
Rooms with light seeping in through the blinds will keep your mind going even if you have your eyes shut. Your eyelids are thinner than you think and the light can definitely keep you up. If you prefer a night light, I would suggest one with blue or lavender undertones. Our brains have adapted to the blue light on our phones so purple might even be better if your eyes are glued to your phone every day. Invest in some blackout curtains to keep the light out -- they can even help keep the heat in during the winter and the cool in during the summer with self-insulation.
2. No heavy meals before or in bed
The most satisfying meal of the day is a midnight snack because you're laying in bed, ready To Sleep, and you think of lunch or dinner, and you feel like you cannot wait for morning. But if you're a habitual heavy snacker in bed, I'm sure you have crumbs littering your sheets and the food is keeping your body active even when you're laying still.
If possible, wait for morning, but if not, try to drink some water and maybe have something small.
3. Keep a consistent sleep schedule
Looking forward to the weekend and sleeping in till 1 p.m is really only good for high school students and people without sleep problems. If you change your schedule to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, your body wont know when to wake up and when you get woken up by your alarm, it could be in the middle of an REM cycle and you will feel even more tired than when you went to sleep.
To stay the most consistent, try to set the same alarms every day so your body can fall into a rhythm and adjust to your schedule.
4. Pick the correct mattress
The way a mattress lays can affect how you sleep as well. A lumpy or misshapen one handed down from your older sister might be the least expensive route, but will only make getting to sleep and staying asleep harder. Many mattress stores are beginning to offer dividing up the bed by numbers so you can have the best sleep for you by changing the angle your body lays, even preventing snoring and sleep apnea. Having a good mattress can help with back problems and even make sleeping feel like you're laying amongst the clouds.
5. Take a hot bath
The best way to relax is to soak in a steamy tub filled with bubbles. If you're up for getting even crazier you could add some aromatic candles or bath salts. Bath bombs are the newest craze, filling warm water with colorful swirls and glitter. So if you're feeling the stress of the day, or even just want have fun in some colorful water (that sometimes comes with a toy inside), grab a bath bomb, something warm to drink like apple cider, and take a half hour to reflect on your day. If baths aren't for you, take a shower and treat yourself with a longer shower than usual -- just standing in the hot muscle-relaxing water.
