Victoria Teen Explains How to Catch Some ZZZZZZZ!

It’s very important to get enough sleep every night and as a teenager I know it can be very hard to do.  Taking this into consideration, I thought sharing some tips on how to get a good night sleep would be appropriate.

A good way to get a better sleep is to keep a regular sleep schedule.  The easiest way to accomplish this is to simply have a set time for when you go to bed and for when you wake up.  If you’re planning on changing either of these times, makes small changes each day, say fifteen minutes difference, to allow your body to adjust. This will keep your circadian rhythm working in good order and make it much easier to get sleep.  You can also regulate your sleep cycle naturally by increasing and decreasing light exposure over the period of the day.

During day light hours, you should try and let as much light into your workspace or home as possible. You could even try keeping your sunglasses off to let light onto your face; spending more time outside during the day is helpful too.  At night or when you’re planning on going to sleep you should turn your television and computer off.  Lots of people like to have the television on in the background while they are falling asleep, but this has a risk of stimulating the mind rather than relaxing it.  It is better to read from a book than from something with a back-light such as an eReader or an iPad, as that sends the light directly onto your face.  Also, when it’s finally time to go to bed make sure the lights are off.  The darker it is the better you’ll sleep (unless you happen to be afraid of the dark) so try and keep curtains drawn over the windows or if you want you could invest in a sleep mask to go over your eyes.

Keeping noise down or masking sounds that can’t be controlled can help to keep you relaxed, try using a fan or earplugs.  It is also helpful to keep the room you are sleeping in cool and make sure that your bed is comfortable.  Try straightening the sheets out right before you go to bed as this can make it even more comfortable.  It’s also important to keep the bed for just sleep, this tells your brain that when you lie down on your bed it’s time for sleep.

Written by Hadley Parsons (Grade 9)