You’ve done the hard work – all those months of studying are behind you. After finally being able to close the textbooks and give yourself some peace for a couple of months, you may now be getting worried and nervous: tomorrow, you find out your results. Whether you’re getting GCSE or A-Level results, it can be a stressful time. Being nervous about Results Day is enough to deal with, so don’t give yourself the extra burden of a restless night. Below, we’ve gathered some tips for how you can get a good sleep before Results Day.
10 Tips for A Good Sleep Before Results Day
1) Have A Hot Drink
It sounds like an old wives’ tale but having a hot drink before going to bed will really help you sleep. A hot drink before bedtime will make you feel warm and cosy, helping you to relax and settle down. This way, you’ll fall asleep quicker – which is great if you start to worry about things as soon as you put your head on the pillow. Whether it’s hot milk or hot chocolate, this oldie but goodie will knock you out. Don’t drink coffee, though, or even tea – you don’t want to be consuming caffeine at this point. Or, if you’d prefer a cold drink, have a glass of milk. Milk has the ingredient tryptophan, a calming agent that helps you to relax. Almond milk will also work the same magic!
2) Read A Book in Bed
Get in your most comfortable pyjamas, snuggle under your duvet, and curl up with a book in bed. Add a cup of hot chocolate and you’ll be living the dream! Just six minutes of reading can reduce stress by 68% by clearing your mind and preparing your body for sleep. (1) Reading in bed is a great way to quiet your thoughts and anxieties, so you can sleep well before Results Day.
3) Take A Hot Bath or Shower
There are a few ways to enjoy complete relaxation – and a warm bath is definitely one of them! Baths not only help you to relax and get clean, but they also help you to get a good sleep. Having a bath will raise your body temperature a degree or two. After you’ve gotten out of the bath, your body temperature drops. This helps your body to relax, and you’re more likely to fall into a deep, restorative sleep. If you don’t really like baths, or would prefer something quicker, a shower will do the trick, too!
4) Meditate
Is your mind running wild with nerves and excitement, keeping you awake? You just need to clear your mind of all thoughts and anxieties about Results Day. Meditation makes this a lot easier. Meditate before going to bed – it doesn’t have to be complicated! Just find a nice, quiet spot to sit, get in a comfortable pose, and clear your mind of all thoughts. You can also try mindfulness – a form of meditation that encourages you to focus on the moment, doing this will help you clear your thoughts. By quieting any anxious thoughts, you can enjoy a good sleep before Results Day.
5) Turn Off Your Electronic Devices
I know – this one sounds impossible but, if you want to get a good sleep, you need to turn them all off. Your phone, TV, laptop, tablet, iPod – everything! If you use your phone as an alarm clock, then switch it on silent mode. How are you going to fall asleep if your phone keeps buzzing with notifications? You might be texting your friends and reassuring one another, which is fine, but bid them goodnight and leave everything electronic alone for about an hour before going to sleep. The blue light that’s emitted from these screens can disrupt your body’s production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Fill this hour up with relaxing things; have a bath or read a book!
6) Have A Healthy Sleeping Environment
Your bedroom should be dark, cool, and quiet. Draw the curtains tightly – you don’t want any pesky rays of sunlight slipping into your room and waking you up before the alarm goes off.
An organised and tidy bedroom can also help to quieten the mind and promotes a sense of calm. Creating a calming atmosphere is really important when drifting off to sleep.
Create a calming, tidy and uncluttered space to help quieten the mind and prepare it for sleep. Pictured: SlumberSlumber Atik 400TC Egyptian Cotton Duvet Cover, Egyptian cotton flat sheet and Egyptian cotton oxford pillowcases
7) Try Lavender
Lavender produces calming, soothing, and sedative effects when its scent is inhaled. There are many sleep sprays on the market right now, perhaps try one containing Lavender, Vetivert, and Camomile that’ll calm both your mind and body. Simply spray it onto your pillow for a soothing sleep.
8) Listen to Relaxing Music or Sounds
This one might not work for everyone, but some people prefer falling asleep to background music rather than silence. If you do listen to music to fall asleep, make sure it’s soothing with slower melodies. This doesn’t mean that it has to be classic music – just anything that isn’t fast-paced or heavy metal. Or you could consider listening to white noise tracks or gentle rain soundtracks when trying to fall asleep.
9) The 4-7-8 Technique
The 4-7-8 technique is a sleeping hack that tricks your body into falling asleep. It was created by Andrew Weil, a Harvard-trained holistic health doctor (2) . All you have to do is slightly touch the ridge of tissue behind your top teeth with your tongue, exhale completely, and then go through the following pattern:
- Inhale through your nose quietly while counting to 4
- Hold your breath while counting to 7
- Slowly exhale through your mouth while counting to 8
- Repeat this process three more times
10) Get Up If You Can’t Sleep
If you’re struggling to get to sleep, don’t be hard on yourself. If you’re still awake for about twenty minutes after getting into bed, don’t stay in bed. If you do, your mind will come to associate your bed with restlessness – this will make it even harder to get to sleep! Get up and go to a different room. Have a glass of milk, read a book, or listen to quiet music – anything that’s relaxing and doesn’t involve looking at a screen. Only go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
Footnotes
- https://astonlife.astonwordpress.co.uk/2017/08/16/how-to-sleep-the-night-before-results-day/
- https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/stress-anxiety/breathing-three-exercises/
