Dear Jimin, 

Occasionally I have trouble sleeping at night. What advice would you give students to get a good night’s sleep?

Sincerely, Mr. Jolly

Dear Mr. Jolly, 

It must be exasperating that you can’t sleep well. To be honest, I experienced restless nights for the past few years. Since I couldn’t fall asleep I feared my approaching bedtime because I inevitably stayed up for several hours alone in the dark. I quiver just thinking about it.

But fortunately, I overcame my slumber problems. For the most part, I kept myself busy during the day. Honestly, this was not my choice because I needed to study or finish homework. Whenever I had some free time, I exercised or accomplished something physical like dancing, in order to exhaust my body. Because of working hard during the daytime, I fell asleep right away as I laid down at night.

Also, I recommend a sleeping mask. As it covers your eyes, you won’t be staring at the ceiling or distracted by street lights bouncing off your bedroom walls. Even better, cover up with a heated sleeping mask. It soothes my eyes and knocks me out immediately. 

This next tip might take a lot of effort, but you need to make sure you’re not using your electronic device right before bedtime. As you know, the blue light that emits from your phone or tablet is detrimental to your eyes, delaying the release of your body’s natural sleeping pill – the hormone melatonin. Although I know this all too well, honestly, I struggle to put down my phone before bed too. But…. It’s a work in progress. Anyways, this is a significant step to solve your problem, so I hope you can resist.

Last of all, make sure your environment is suitable to catch some Z’s. Your room needs to be dark, quiet, and set at a comfortable temperature. 

These are the methods I suggest you attempt so you can rest easy. I truly wish you get a grip on your sleep debt. The side effects make your waking hours lively and productive.

Sincerely, your grateful student Jimin

P.S. If you still can’t figure out your circadian rhythm after trying these tips for a week, reach out to me again.

If you have any questions for Jimin, email her at [email protected], and be sure to let her know whether she can use your name or you want to be anonymous.