How To Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
It’s hard being a teenager in 2023. With having to balance school, our social lives, and free time, it’s often difficult to maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Ironically, teenagers are the age demographic that arguably requires the most sleep. So how is it possible to meet these goals while still having a life?
Many attribute feeling tired during the day to not having slept enough the night before. Often, the key to getting better sleep is not necessarily to sleep more, but to enhance the quality of the sleep you are able to get. This can be done by:
Making your bed a phone-free zone. Not only can this help limit overall blue-light exposure, it will help your brain recognize that your bed is for sleeping, not for sitting around on your phone, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Managing your time. When you get your assignments done quicker, not only will you be able to go to bed at an earlier time, but you won't lie awake at night stressing about all of the work you have to do.
Limiting blue light exposure before bed. Several studies have proven that disturbances to our bodies' natural circadian rhythm make it harder to have a healthy sleep schedule. Consider investing in blue light glasses for work done before bed, and maybe even establishing a "no phone time" in the hour before bed.
Establishing a calming bedtime routine. Not only will this make you look forward to going to bed each night, but over time it will train your brain (Pavlov-style) to feel tired as you are performing these actions, which can be anything from sipping (caffeine-free!) tea to reading a book.
Hopefully these easy tips have inspired you to reformat you sleep routine and schedule. If you want to hear more advice on this, I suggest checking out this YouTube video by Ruby Granger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5DBWWgvoEU&t=626s