After the week-long break, it is hard for students to come back to their daily university routines. During the break, many of us stayed up late hanging out with friends and family, gone to bars for fun and even traveled out of the country and need to readjust to the time change. For these different reasons, it could be difficult for students to go to bed and wake up on time now that they’re back. As one of those students who has been struggling to sleep at night, I would like to share some remedies.

Try to stay awake

When you are lying in bed trying to fall asleep, your brain can sometimes refuse to sleep. I assume that many students experience this. As you struggle to fall asleep, it becomes more difficult to actually fall asleep. However, when you try to stay awake and try not to fall asleep, your brain relaxes and eventually falls asleep. In the field of psychology, reverse methods like this are used to solve problems of insomnia. This idea can help students get to sleep on time for a short term.

Take a warm shower before bed

Warming up your body with a hot shower and cooling it down as you are in bed can help you fall asleep. Showers help make you feel relaxed and cozy, which prepares your brain and body for a nice sleep during the night. Also, rapid temperature decreases can help your metabolism work faster, which the body recognizes as a suitable condition to sleep. Add to that, taking a shower routinely at the same time makes the brain think it’s bedtime after a hot shower.

Stay away from electronic devices

Many students study on their laptops, check Facebook or Instagram on their phones and play games on their iPads before going to bed. However, the light from these electronic devices can make it more difficult for students to fall asleep. The nerves on your eyes are sensitive to stimulus, and I assume a number of students look into their electronic devices close to their faces while lying in bed. As the nerves are stimulated, it makes it harder for students to fall asleep. It is recommended that you put electronic devices away for an hour or so before going to bed.

Manage stress and worries

Stress and worries are crucial factors that annoy a good night’s sleep. Reducing stress, or controlling it in a positive way could benefit your ability to fall asleep. Stress causes our minds to wander around useless thoughts that are unnecessary before going to bed and can only add anxiety. Trying to forget about worries or putting aside the things that need to be done could help students get a better night’s sleep. Controlling stress and worries is important not only for sleep but managing your work the next day when you’re better prepared to deal with it.