Six tips for how to fall asleep

 In my last article, I talked about some of the basics to getting a good night of sleep following the acronym “QQRT”. Sleep is so essential to our wellbeing, and can even help us with our studies as we approach exam season. In this article, I’d like to talk through some tips I have found from researching how we can be falling asleep quicker.

I used to really struggle to fall asleep, it used to take me an hour or two after turning off the light to actually fall into it. Most of this advice comes from Dr Matthew Walker’s book “Why We Sleep”, which I’d really recommend a read if you’re interested.

The first tip is to try and go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, this helps anchor your sleep and trains your “circadian rhythm” (one of the mechanisms in our body that tells when we are tired).

The second tip is to try and dim your lights in the last hour before bed. This might just mean putting on a warmer coloured light and switching off your main light. We need darkness to produce melatonin (the hormone that helps us sleep), so wearing an eye mask might also be a good decision if your room isn’t completely dark.

The third tip is to try and keep your bedroom nice and cool. I like to keep my window open for the last hour or so, and switching my radiator off until the morning.

The fourth tip is to walk it out! Our brains are so associative, try not to spend long periods of time awake in bed. If you find after 25 minutes or so of turning off the light that you still can’t sleep, try doing something relaxing (reading a book or listening to a podcast, not work!) in another room until you are tired (this can be for as long as you need!).

The fifth tip is to be mindful of caffeine and alcohol as both of these things inhibit good quality sleep. It is recommended to try and cut off from them about 10 hours before bed.

The sixth and final tip is to, when you are lying in bed, go through in your head a walk that you do often. This might be the walk from your house to university, or somewhere else you go often. Imagine yourself walking it in great detail, paying attention to every small thing. This is a great way to get your mind off wandering thoughts.

Now of course, all of these tips are not going to be something that we can follow every night, and that’s okay! University is full of great experiences, some of which might not adhere to these tips. These are just some helpful ways you can try if you struggle to fall asleep.

The other thing to mention is that these tips are not prescriptive. If you really struggle with insomnia, speak to a doctor, book into an appointment with the university health service, or chat to your academic tutor who can also recommend some help.

By Todd Langstaff

Wellbeing Ambassador for the School of Law

University Health Service: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/health-service