If you don’t listen to any of my other advice, listen to
this: It’s vitally important that you get enough sleep.
There’s a myth that travels through the college network. It
deceives incoming freshman as well as seasoned seniors. It says, “College has
three parts—school, sleep & social—and you can only choose two.”
I’m here to say, “Don’t believe the lies!”
I’ve never had less than 17 hours a semester. I have devoted
no less than 15 hours a week to the school newspaper since sophomore year. I’ve
always exercised over an hour and a half every single day. I have never missed
a Thursday night girls’ night. I have always found quality time to spend with
my boyfriend. And—get this—I almost always get seven to eight hours of sleep
every night.
Never in my three years and three weeks of college have I
felt I lacked in one of those three areas of my life.
How, do you ask? Well, let me tell you…
#1 Set down the
caffeine. I know I can’t ask a college student to give up their Starbucks,
but I can at least ask you to give it up after two in the afternoon. I’ve
personally made the decision to not drink any caffeine. As a result, I’m not
wired when it’s time to go to sleep, and I wake up more rested.
#2 Pick a bedtime.
Pick that special time of night, whether it is nine at night or one in the
morning, and call it “bedtime.” Choose whatever time will allow you to get that
magic number of seven hours of sleep. Then, stick to it. If you go to bed at
random times every evening, your body will never get into a pattern. No pattern
is a nocturnal nightmare.
#3 Say your prayers.
My number one reason for avoiding my beloved bed is always homework. With a
never-ending to-do list, it’s so hard to drop it all and slip between the
sheets. But I’ve learned to trust God with it all. Everything that needs to get
done will get done. If it doesn’t, it will be okay. Usually, I can finish all
my work quicker and with better quality after I have received enough zzz’s.
And if after this you still can't fall asleep, try listening to some of this relaxing music:
Here’s how I do it. What about you? What helps you get the
sleep you need?
I find that sleeping is a beautiful thing, but the art of good sleep starts at least two hours before you even consider going to bed. At that point, don't drink or eat anything else as your stomach will continue to be working it off when you lay down. I also started yoga about an hour before bed just to calm my mind and my body from the stress from the day. I'm not going to go into the spirituality of yoga, but the practice of just sitting and stretching your body in a calm atmosphere does wonders for your well being.
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