Insomnia among students is pretty common, but you don’t have to suffer through it. Check out these tips to get better sleep at night.
To avoid insomnia, students should steer clear of stimulants like coffee and energy drinks, eat dinner a few hours before bed, get some physical activity, and skip the naps. It’s also important to break the cycle of staying up all night and sleeping during the day. Finally, setting a fixed sleep schedule is key.
Let’s dive deeper into all of this, but first…
Disclaimer
This is not a health website. In this article, I will only talk about the typical insomnia experienced by students in demanding university programs. For insomnia as a medical condition, please refer to more specialized sites.
Insomnia in College Students
Anxiety before an exam or the daily overexertion can lead students to lose sleep at night. Insomnia in students is a common issue that many of us have experienced at some point.
As a university student, it’s likely familiar that you often have to stay up late to finish a practical assignment, prepare for an exam, or just catch up with your courses.
But sometimes, your schedule gets flipped, and day becomes night, and night becomes day. This, combined with the anxiety and stress brought on by deadlines, can result in you not being able to sleep when you try.
Insomnia affects many people worldwide, not just students. However, in college students, the main causes are stress, changing schedules, and consuming stimulating drinks before bed.
Stress occurs when the tasks and obligations you need to complete exceed your ability to manage them.
Schedule changes, as mentioned before, gradually take place as the study period progresses, until you find yourself more awake at 3:00 AM than at 3:00 PM.
Consuming stimulating drinks like coffee works against sleep and, in large quantities, is a major contributor to insomnia.
If you’re experiencing this issue, here are some practical tips and a few resources that may help you.
Tips to Fight Insomnia in College Students
Here are some useful tips that can help you fight insomnia.
1. Avoid Stimulant Beverages
Coffee and any other drink that contains caffeine, like energy drinks, stimulate the nervous system for hours. Keep in mind that regular tea also contains caffeine, though in smaller amounts.
It’s best not to consume any of these at least three hours before going to sleep. On the other hand, another type of infusion, like linden tea, can help you sleep and rest better.
2. Have Dinner Hours Before Going to Bed
Having dinner a few hours before going to sleep is beneficial for your sleep. This way, your body can digest the food. Ideally, your last meal of the day should be a couple of hours before bedtime.
3. Workout
This is the best advice you can follow. Exercise daily. You don’t need to go to a gym. Just walking a bit every day will make your legs feel so heavy by nighttime that all your body will want to do is sleep.
The key here is this: workout, and when you start feeling tired, do a little more. Keep in mind that you should never exercise right before bed.
4. Avoid naps
If you take a nap, whatever you don’t sleep at night, you’ll end up sleeping in the afternoon. If you still decide to take a nap, it’s best to keep it as short as possible.
By falling into the sweet temptation of a nap, you’re contributing to reversing your schedule, sleeping during the day and staying awake at night.
5. Break the reversed sleep cycle
If your sleep schedule is from 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the best thing is to interrupt that cycle.
So next time, try going to bed at the same time, but wake up at 9:00 AM. Yes, you’ll feel tired and sleepy, but that same night, you’ll sleep deeply.
6. Develop a schedule routine
You should try, no matter how difficult it is, to maintain a schedule routine that includes the morning.
Ideally, you should stop studying at a set time in the evening, regardless of what part of your tasks you’re on.
Resources to fight insomnia
Next, I want to share some resources that will be helpful to you. On the one hand, a book that address the issue of insomnia, and on the other, an online course with practical tips on the subject.
Hello Sleep, Goodnight Insomnia
Hello Sleep, Goodnight Insomnia by Dr. Yasmine Elamir M.D. and Dr. William Grist M.D. offers practical, evidence-based solutions for overcoming insomnia. Written by two experienced doctors, it explores natural methods to improve sleep, focusing on lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral techniques, and creating a sleep-friendly routine.
Hello Sleep, Goodnight Insomnia
Dr. Yasmine Elamir M.D. and Dr. William Grist M.D
A practical guide by doctors offering expert advice to overcome insomnia and improve sleep.
The Ultimate Sleep Course
This Udemy’s course, led by Michaël Bijker, offers practical solutions to improve sleep and cure insomnia. By incorporating techniques like guided breathing, meditation, and yoga nidra, it provides tools to help you sleep better and wake up refreshed.
It covers a range of topics including sleep science, diet tips, physical exercises, and sleep journaling. The course also features Brain Enhancing Audio sessions and strategies to build better sleep habits for a healthier, more energized life.
The Ultimate Sleep Course | Sleep good & Cure Insomnia
Conclusion
If, after following these guidelines and using all the resources, insomnia persists, it is likely that it stems from a psychological issue or an underlying medical condition. In such cases, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
For college students, staying up late is almost inevitable. Careers like medicine, law, engineering, among others, will always require superhuman effort to stay on track with studies. However, you should still try to take care of yourself and then handle your academic responsibilities.
First, prioritize your health, then focus on your study commitments.
Learn more about insomnia
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