Sleep is something that comes in short supply for many high schoolers and dwindles as seniority increases. After a long day of managing to keep our eyes pried open, we finally get the chance to rest yet lie sleepless at night. To answer the prayers of high schoolers around the world, here is a full proof plan of how to get the best sleep—not! 

Sleep is a very individualistic endeavor, and different tricks help different people. 

Some people have sleeping patterns that vary from the usual go to bed and wake up when the alarm goes off. Ava Hoelscher, ‘22, for example, simply wakes up at 2 a.m. at least twice a week. “Sleeping is not one of my talents,” said Hoelscher. There is no rhyme nor reason to it except that she wakes up always at two in the morning. When this happens, she usually gets a glass of water and is able to go back to sleep. Hoelscher recommends reading before going to bed, as she does this often when the Sandman doesn’t come her way.

Another intellectual way of putting yourself to sleep can be as easy as listening to the radio. It’s a perfect alternative to the dreaded TV, whose lights, contrary to the popular belief that it helps you fall asleep, makes you more awake. “I like listening to politics,” Anna Horsfall, ‘21, explains.  “Not that I think it’s boring, but because I can learn a little something while waiting to fall asleep.”

A common remedy for insomnia is stretching. Getting your muscles relaxed helps you find a more comfortable position. Cathleen Breslin, ‘20, is a dancer at The Dubuque Academy of Ballet. Breslin takes this tip to new heights saying, “Sometimes I’ll sleep in the splits because I could get more flexible overnight without even knowing it.” Cathleen will also sleep in other stretches, including a half fetal position. 

It seems to be that sleep is something that can be practiced and perfected, so if you can’t fall asleep, take the recommendations of a few of Wahlert’s many sleep “experts”.