Being a teenager is stressful and the days are long; especially when you wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning. After a day of tests, homework, sports, studying, working and doing chores around the house, you’re wiped out. Exhausted. So you go up to your room, lay your head on your pillow and…you can’t fall asleep. You just lay there trying to sleep but you just can’t.

Sleep as a teenager is extremely important and vital to growth and brain development, so not being able to get to sleep can cause issues both short term and long term. Not to mention, not having a full night’s rest effects your day and your learning.

There are a many ways that are proven to work that allow one to fall asleep rather quickly, that do not involve counting sheep.

• Listen to relaxing music. If you go onto YouTube and searching relaxing music, numerous options of peaceful music comes up. With this though, be sure to listen to it for a few moments because the music sometimes contains alarming noises!

• Stretch before going to bed. Relax your muscles and relieve any tension in them.

• Sleep in a colder room. According to a study, people tend to dose off when the room is on the colder side. Set your thermostat to 65 degrees or lower. (Try this more so in the warmer months so you don’t get yourself sick.)

• Practice the art of visualization. Visualize yourself in a happy and relaxing place. Add this into your daily routine; routines help.

• Try the 4-7-8 second breathing trick. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds. This changes the pattern of your breathing which change your heart rate and blood pressure.

• Don’t go to bed until you are sleepy. It has been proven that your body will not settle down until you are actually tired.

• Hide or put something over your clock. As you keep glancing at your clock to see how long you have been laying there not sleeping, you are actually stressing yourself out which makes your body awaken more.

• Write down your thoughts. If certain thoughts keep distracting you, write them down. This allows you to express your thoughts and feelings while not taking occupying your restless mind.

• Exercise during the day. This reduces stress and improves your health while tiring the body a little bit. However, do NOT exercise within 3 hours of going to sleep.

• Limit the drinks that have caffeine in them. Caffeine wakes up the nervous system, and when trying to fall asleep, that is not what you want.

• Try and avoid naps. Naps wake you and allow you to go on with the day loner. It rejuvenates your body making it take longer for your body to settle down.

• Turn off, or silence, your electronical device. If you hear your phone or computer go off you want to check it. But then you go on social media and you’re awakening your body. Going on your computer begins as checking an emails and ends in watching four episodes of your favorite Netflix show. If your TV is on you are more inclined to find something interesting on.

Don’t try and do all of these things in one day. Try one and see if it works and if not try another. Sleep is vital, it’s important to know what helps you fall asleep and what doesn’t.