February 5, 2025

Written by: Isabelle Jones | Lifestyle Editor

Many feel as if a good night’s sleep is a luxury, especially when midterms are right around the corner. When one has to focus on late-night study sessions and seemingly endless to-do lists, sleep tends to get put on the back burner, but quality sleep is crucial for one’s overall health, mood and productivity. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Between fifty to seventy million Americans have sleep disorders and one in three adults do not regularly get enough uninterrupted sleep.” What happens in our waking life greatly affects our ability to sleep peacefully. According to “Too Stressed to Sleep?” by Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan, “There are things during the day that might not seem like a big problem, but at night they can appear a lot worse, especially during the couple of hours before bed.” This is especially true when we understand that our dreams are how we process our emotions in the waking life. If one is struggling with sleep, just know that they are not alone in this. Here are some ways to move sleep off the back burner and put one’s health first. 

Create a consistent sleep schedule — Sleep schedules don’t have to be an elaborate plan. The simplest way to take control of one’s sleep is to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, including the weekends. This is easier said than done, but one needs to make an honest effort in order to see positive changes in how they sleep. A huge benefit of a consistent sleep schedule is that it helps to regulate one’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm — according to the National Institutes of Health — “is the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light changes in our environment.” This helps to fall asleep easier and wake up feeling less groggy. Failing to look after one’s circadian rhythm leads to many problems including school or work difficulties, substance use disorder, daytime accidents or injuries and other, more serious sleeping problems. 

Create a bed boundary  — Where one sleeps has a profound effect on their health. If one is struggling with sleeping, the first change to make is to create a “bed only” boundary with oneself. This means that the bed is only used for sleeping. No doom scrolling, homework or eating in bed. This space needs to only be reserved for sleeping. This creates a connection within the brain to register the bed as a place for sleeping and makes the body physically tired. Another way to make it easy to fall asleep in one’s room is to watch the temperature. An article from WebMD —  reviewed by Dr. Dan Brennan —  stated that “the perfect sleeping temperature lies between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. A warmer environment may be counterproductive to what the body is designed to do at night. About two hours before one is heading to bed a cooling process begins.” This results in feeling less alert and signaling that it’s time to start to sleep. Also by keeping one’s sleeping environment hotter, the body remains in the lighter stages of sleep instead of flowing into a more restorative and restful stage. Lastly, when it comes to room lighting, it’s extremely important to dim the brightness. Lights interfere with one’s natural ability to produce melatonin. It’s a good idea to switch to low lighting once the sun goes down and to avoid any screens — phones, computers, tablets, televisions — for at least two hours before bed. 

Take time to wind down before bed — At the end of a long day, it can be tempting to immediately hit the sack, but transitioning into sleep is extremely important. Taking one’s time at the end of the day allows the body to physically relax, and allows the mind to process its emotions and the events of the day. Once at home, one should strive to stay away from overly stimulating activities as it gets closer to bedtime. There should also be some scheduled downtime to stay off of one’s phone. 

Consider a sleep supplement (with caution) — Supplements can provide an array of benefits surrounding getting more of one’s important vitamins and minerals. Some may want an extra boost of melatonin, magnesium or valerian root as they wind down for the night. Although taking supplements for sleep may alleviate our problems, it’s crucial to understand both the long-term and short-term benefits of each supplement.

Seek professional help — If one has had long-term problems with sleep, it might be time to seek some professional help. Some sleeping disorders such as insomnia, ortho-insomnia and sleep apnea are among the most common, according to Northwestern Medicine. At times, persistent sleeping problems are signs of another underlying condition. It’s important to keep track of your sleeping habits, and concerns before making an appointment with a professional in order to get the best care possible. 

In a perfect world, everyone would be able to naturally fall and stay asleep throughout the night. Unfortunately, quality sleep doesn’t work out every night, but there are several recommendations that can be shared if one chooses. The first recommendation regards melatonin. Since supplements are not FDA-regulated, they may contain harmful ingredients. Opt for supplements that have a USP verification mark. This ensures that the supplements have been tested by the United States Pharmacopeia. The second is to have an eye mask. It’s an easy way to keep any light blocked out, especially if one wants to keep the window open for fresh air. Silk is among the best materials for eye masks since it’s hypoallergenic. The third recommendation is to listen to ASMR and colors of noise. Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response — ASMR — has many different sounds for one to discover and helps wind the mind down. According to most experts, the best colors to listen to are pink and brown noise, but it does take some trial and error with finding the perfect sleepy-time audio cocktail. The last recommendation is a bit on the pricier side, but it is a good investment. Purchasing cooling blankets and cooling pillows are complete game changers when it comes to sleeping. There are several different options, but some of the more affordable and long-lasting blankets and pillows can be found at Costco, which has some options both online and in-store. 

Hacking one’s sleep doesn’t magically happen over a single night. It takes several small changes to one’s lifestyle and environment. One needs to prioritize sleep hygiene, manage stress and create a relaxing bedtime in order to sleep restfully in order to feel their best. Remember, not everyone is made to sleep only eight hours. Some need more, others need less. As long as one is able to determine how many hours of sleep is needed to feel refreshed in the morning, that is all that matters. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu