Got the awake-until-the-wee-hour blues? Get your sleep cycle back on track with tried 'n' true tips for catching some major shut eye...no sheep, warm milk or sound machines necessary. Oh, eight hours of sleep, we've missed you so!
Kick stress outta your day
Nothing's worse for your health than loading up on anxiety. Whether it comes from fights with friends or not finishing your homework, at the end of the day, stressin' over stuff big and small is so not worth it. It wrecks everything from your mood to your complexion to your sleep cycle. So do yourself a favor, sweetie, and give it the boot. Finish everything you need to, then reward yourself with some fun "me" time. Call a truce with your chicas before the sun sets. And if you're still feeling anxious, try some deep breathing exercises, like yoga or meditation. Om...
Get scribblin'
Can't stop your to-do list from running through your mind on repeat? Slip a small notebook into your coat pocket or purse and leave another on your night table. Whenever you have a lightbulb moment, take a moment to jot it down. When you record a thought, you're much more apt to abandon the instant replay cycle that your brain triggers to keep you from forgetting info, no matter how trivial. What a relief!
Hit the ground running
You know how ya feel at 2 a.m. when you've spent the whole day lying on the couch marathoning movies with Mom? That, "I'm so tired but I just can't fall asleep" feeling? Yeah, that's what happens when you morph into couch potato mode without getting in any sort of energy-burning exercising. Ya don't have to hit the gym 24/7--or even get a planned workout in at all--but if you do tackle the day head-on and with as much energy as you can muster up, you'll feel surprisingly ready to head to dreamland as soon as your head hits the pillow.
Make your bed a haven
It's time to toss those textbooks off your comforter and over to your desk, darlin'. We know curling up under the covers with your number-two pencil and a notebook makes that take-home quiz just a little bit less terrible, but getting work done in the same place you're supposed to be sleeping confuses your brain. Do yourself a favor and save your bed for sleep. Oh, and one more thing? In the a.m., make it up--you know, tidy up the sheets, fluff the pillows and pull up the blankets. Trust us, slipping beneath nice, crisp covers will make you feel pampered and relaxed. Nighty night!
BY BRITTANY TAYLOR ON 12/27/2012 12:00:00 AM
POSTED IN stress busters, dealing with anxiety, sleep, I can't fall asleep, always tired, get more sleep