Getting a good night’s sleep in college can sometimes be rough!  Kids in college have wild schedules when they try to work around class schedules, work schedules, and social life activities.  Your child’s roommate may be an early bird while your child may be a night owl.  All these things can lead to not enough sleep.  As much as college students think they can live and succeed off of a few hours of sleep each night, they can’t (at least not successfully)!  Here are some tips to pass on to your child that may help them get a better night’s sleep while in college.

Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule

One of the best ways to get a good night’s sleep is to be consistent about when you go to bed and when your wake up.  Our bodies naturally want to have a sleep schedule.  If your child will keep a fairly consistent sleep schedule, they will likely fall right asleep when they get in bed and get a good night’s sleep.  A good night’s sleep allows students to be more productive in their waking hours and more alert for class.

Have a Nighttime Routine

Another great way to encourage a good night’s sleep is to have a nighttime routine.  This routine could be taking a shower before bed, having a facial or face cleansing process, listening to calming music, or reading a book.  There are too many options to list.  The key is to have your child do this routine consistently every night before bed.  Their minds will automatically begin to equate this nighttime routine with slowing down and preparing themselves for sleep.  This type of routine should help them fall asleep faster once they hit the sheets.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep With White Noise

When living in a dorm environment, your child will have no control over the others living around them.  Their neighbors, or even their roommate, may be a night owl and a noisy one at that.  This is where the next recommendation will come in very handy.  A white noise machine, fan, or even earplugs in a pinch, will mask or eliminate the noise of those living around your child.  Having that consistent, calming sound, or no sound at all will help your child fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.  This really could be a lifesaver for those with noisy roommates!

Dark Room

If your child is a night owl and likes to sleep during the day or even just get up later in the morning, finding ways to keep the room dark is a must.  One way to do this is to use black-out curtains over all the windows in the room.  These types of curtains will do a pretty good job at making the room darker, but won’t really keep it pitch black for those who really need darkness to sleep.  Another option is to use a sleep mask.  Using a sleep mask will mask most, if not all light, from your child’s eyes.  This is a good option if they have a roommate that needs to study or be in the room with the lights on while your child is trying to sleep.

Weighted Blanket to Help Get A Good Night’s Sleep

One last suggestion to help your child get a good night’s sleep in a college dorm is to have them cover themselves with a weighted blanket.  These blankets are known as having a calming effect for those using them.  Calmness brings about relaxation and for most relaxation will bring about sleep.  A weighted blanket is like a cocoon or getting a big hug from your favorite person.  My daughter swears by hers and says she doesn’t sleep near as well when she doesn’t have it.

If your child is headed off to college soon, pass on some of these sleep tips to them.  They will thank you later!