Palouse Pathways Scholars are students from all over the Palouse who are interested in exploring college and career options and preparing for life after high school. We asked them to describe things they do to maintain wellbeing. Here they offer advice on getting a good night sleep.
Sleep: It’s essential for a healthy body, mind, and mood. Yet for busy high school students, it’s often the thing that’s hardest to find time for!! We asked our scholars to share their secrets to getting plenty of quality sleep to power them through their days. Here are some of the many thoughtful responses, distilled down to ten ideas to help you get better sleep—and more of it!
I finish my harder tasks and “must do’s” earlier in the day so I don’t have to stay up all night working on them.
Physical exercise during the day or evening helps make it easier for me to fall asleep and sleep deeply.
I plan ahead. First, I figure out when I want to wake up, to allow myself plenty of time in the morning. Then I go 8 hours back and set that as my bed time. Next, I block off plenty of time before my bedtime to get ready for bed and wind down so I can fall asleep on time.
Having a set night routine helps me a lot with getting more sleep. I like to dedicate at least an hour where I do my skin care, read, get ready for bed, and plan for the next day. I try to keep this time calm and quiet to set the tone for good sleep.
Putting my phone down and reducing blue light an hour before I go to sleep helps me fall asleep faster.
If it’s bedtime but I’m still not feeling tired, I’ll organize my room, read a book, or listen to a podcast or quiet music until I feel ready to sleep,
Other things that can help: a warm bath, cup of herbal tea, fan or white noise, cool room temperature, dark or blackout curtains.
Things that probably won’t help: Eating a big meal or sweet snacks, drinking caffeine, taking a cold shower, late night doomscrolling or social media.
Consistency: Always trying to go to sleep and wake up at the same time makes both falling asleep and waking a whole lot easier. I even try to stay consistent on the weekends, sleeping in no more than 30 minutes so my internal clock doesn’t get thrown off.
If I get off of my sleep schedule, I make sure to prioritize sleep over any extracurriculars or optional assignments until I feel fully rested again.
Bonus advice: Never underestimate the power of a catnap. If I’m running out of steam long before bedtime, it’s amazing how much a 15-20 minute snooze can help. (Just remember to set your alarm so you don’t accidentally wake up three hours later!)