A while back I thought I had fixed my sleep schedule finally, and I was so excited, telling everybody about this. Soon enough I figured though, sleeping is much like exercise: dependent on your consistency, motivation, your willingness to stick to a routine, and frankly your mood. This can go both ways - sad? Scroll on your phone till 3am. Sad? Sleep for 14 hours. I am the type who can not sleep when I am stressed, because I am overthinking all the time. So my past week looks like this:
Those 2 days of bliss were a product of a month of sleeping very poorly, and then I am right back to my barely 6 hour standard. Why? I don't know to be honest. I work out, I am barely in my room all day working, walking, keeping busy - I am tired when I get home for sure! So I wish I'd know how I could just go to sleep on time and actually sleep. Here are more stats, containing September as my lowest point and October as my highest:
September was a shock for my body for several reasons. Primarily because of time zones, and then because of my poor habits. I need(ed) a sound to fall asleep to, something to distract my thoughts enough. But the guys that live next door, who were insanely loud at the beginning, were for sure not what calmed my thoughts down. One by one I had to work on these to improve my sleeping. which I somewhat did in October, on a small scale honestly.
I started leaving my phone far away from my body: charging on the other end of the room. Works even better if you drain the battery in time for bed. I even talked to the guys and they became quieter (mostly). And the sound I needed to fall asleep? Well I used wireless headphones at first, and then when I knew I was EXTREMELY tired I would try without the sound, slowly making it a habit. And it worked! I felt better, well rested, I was approaching a 7 hour standard.
But I messed it up. Circling back to what I said, it's like exercise, you have to do it even when you don't want to. Until it is just a reflex. But I did not resist my urge one night to scroll TikTok because I am stressed, and I started giving in every night. So I fell of the streak. I am not a perfect example, but I can tell you - it is possible to balance a social life, studying, working and sleeping. You just have to want to do it! It is a self control thing, as most things in life are. Some nights you will toss and turn for hours, but you still can't give in. So a challenge for 2022 is to not give in. Join me!
Lots of love,
Mia