Sleep
You may find that you are having trouble sleeping since you have left home. If you find that you cannot fall asleep when you go to bed or have difficulty staying asleep, try some of these tips courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation website.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day and night, including weekends. Your body may need to get into a natural sleep cycle. If you sleep late on some days and wake up early on others, your body may have trouble knowing when to let you finally relax.
- Limit your caffeine after noon. Caffeine is a stimulant which might keep you up. Remember that caffeine is not just in coffee but also in chocolate, tea and other drinks. Be aware of other ways in which your body might be taking in stimulants such as in diet pills or herbal supplements. If you are taking supplements to help you stay awake to study, you may not be able to wind down fast enough.
- Practice relaxation techniques to calm down before you try to go to sleep. Listen to quiet music or meditate. Avoid watching exciting movies or playing exciting video games right before bed because your adrenaline might still be flowing.
- Avoid doing homework while in bed. Get your body to recognize your bed as a place to rest.
- If you are worrying about all that you have to do, write a list so your to do items are on paper and not just in your head. If you have gotten behind schedule, acknowledge the problem and then take the necessary steps to solve it. Consider going to LARC and attending a seminar on time management.
- Eating certain "comfort foods" before bed can stimulate your brain chemistry into making you sleepy. Try macaroni and cheese or warm milk. Avoid a heavy meal, however, right before bed.
- Talk with noisy roommates or neighbors who might be disturbing your sleep. Agree on a reasonable time to call it a night. If you are reading this, you may already be having a problem. If not, agree on this time early in your relationship.
- Declutter your bedroom. If you live in a residence hall, this may be hard because you don't have a lot of space. However, sometimes a cluttered room can cause a cluttered mind which may cause sleep problems.
- Avoid drinking alcohol to help you sleep. While alcohol might relax you, your blood sugar might cause you to wake up during the night and not allow you to go back to sleep.
- If you have ongoing sleep problems, get a professional consultation. Sleep disturbance can be a symptom of other problems such as depression or sleep apnea. People on campus are here to help you to feel better.
For a slideshow of foods that can help or harm your sleep, please visit WebMD.
