Dorm Room Sleeping 101: Five Hacks to Mastering this Crucial College Course

It’s early in the semester, and you may not have mastered the art of dorm room sleeping yet, but don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Here are our top five hacks for successfully sleeping in your dorm room bed.

1. Bring your own mattress

Of all the BYO parties you’ll attend in college, let this be the first. Bring your own … mattress! If you plan to stay in the dorm for more than a year, having your own mattress is likely worth the investment. At least check out the bed ahead of time if you can, and if the conditions are rough, look into bringing your own twin or twin XL mattress. If that’s not an option, this is the time to look for a foam topper.

2. Buy at least two sets of sheets

Folks, we know that college life is busy and it’s hard to get to the washers and dryers. So don’t put yourself in the position of having to sleep on filthy sheets. Or worse, a bare mattress. Bring an extra set with you so that you can always add fresh sheets to your bed if necessary. Of course, that means when one set comes off the bed, don’t procrastinate washing that set for too long.

3. Stock up on pillows

You’ll be using your dorm room mattress as a bed, a couch, a study area, and probably a dining table at some point. So, stock up on pillows that work for multiple purposes, like big fluffy pillows you can use as back rests. And, importantly, save a nice pillow for sleeping on. Tip: Make your bed every day and tuck your best sleeping pillow under your comforter to keep it clean.

4. Get yourself on a sleep schedule

We’re not suggesting you wake up every day at 7:00 a.m., unless of course you have 8:00 a.m. classes every morning, but we are suggesting that you try to go to sleep at roughly the same time each night and wake up at roughly the same time each morning. We know, we know. Not likely for a college student. But if you start feeling fatigue that you just can’t seem to bounce back from, revisit the idea of a regular sleep schedule.

5. Bring all the sleeping accoutrements

The chances that you end up with the perfect, quiet, introverted roommate and that you never get woken up in the middle of the night by a loud party, a late-night pizza delivery, or whatever else are slim. Even if you live in a dorm where such things never go on, you might not share the same schedule as your roommate. So come prepared. Bring your ear plugs, your eye mask, and a blanket that you don’t mind pulling over your head to tune out the 2:00 a.m. study lamp or the early morning cram session.

If your sleep is suffering this semester, you know where to find us. Our sleep experts will be happy to talk pillows, sheet sets, and mattresses. And good luck!