17 Oct 2017

If your diary is filled with endless tests and assignment due dates or you’re in the middle of sitting the biggest exams of your schooling life, chances are you’re staying up late at night to try to finish all your work.

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one but while it’s tempting to stay up all night cramming, sometimes the best thing you can do it head to bed. To make it a little easier, here is couple of tips that will help you get a few more of those precious hours of rest.

1. Tune out

If you haven’t heard of the trend that has been spreading across YouTube in the last few years, this could be your lucky day. ASMR, which stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is essentially a combination of audio and visual content that is meant to relax the listener. Some people experience tingles on their skin and down their body, whereas it provides comfort and relaxation for others. Watching Bob Ross is apparently one of the triggers but there are hundreds of different types. It might work for you (or it might not) but it’s worth a try.

2. Get comfy

Clear off the pile of washing your parents dumped on the end of the bed, move your study notes onto the floor and actually put your laptop on your desk instead of your pillow for the first time ever. You might even have food wrappers and drink bottles hidden under your covers, so get rid of those as well.

You want to make yourself as comfortable as possible in bed, even if it means turning your air-con/fan up high and turning yourself into a burrito with blankets. Although this tip is suited for the colder times, this can be used for every night of the year. Choose a clean pair of pyjamas and put them into a dryer ten minutes before you get into bed. Being wrapped up in warm materials gives you a comforting, safe feeling which can help get you some much-needed rest.

3. Switch off

Although it’s not the news you want to hear, if you want to get a good night’s sleep, you’re going to need to spend some time away from your phone. Numerous studies over the last decade have shown that using a mobile device while trying to fall asleep can have a negative effect on the length and quality of your sleep. It’s well known that device’s screens emit something called ‘blue-wavelength light’ that prevents the brain from producing melatonin–a hormone your body needs to fall asleep.

Although most phones are now equipped with a night-mode, your body will reward you with a better sleep if you avoid going on your phone completely at least an hour before you go to bed. At the very least, don’t fall asleep with it in your hand.