Sleep Schedule Differences: College Roommates 101

Hey guys! As you probably don't know, I've been in college for the past semester and have had to deal with all the ups and downs of having a roommate. Not going to lie, it's been challenging going from having an entire floor to myself after my sibling left to having to share an super tiny space with another person. But I have learned some things from it, which is why I've decided to share them with all of you!

What's been hardest for me is adjusting to the differences in the sleep schedules my roommate and I keep. I prefer to stay up until 11:30 or so and get up very early (otherwise I feel as if I wasted half my day), and she likes to stay up all night and sleep into the day. As you 
can see, they are basically opposites. Now, it's nice to have the room to myself at night, but- if any of you have been in this situation you'll know- it's difficult to study in your room with the light of a single bulb while trying to be quiet.

I became very stressed and anxious because of this and realized that I needed to do something. After talking with my mom she said that "I needed to take control of what I could do because I can't change her." So remember that. You can only control your actions and no one else's.

Here are 5 tips to get you through the stress of sleep schedules!

1. Get out of there

The best thing you can do when your roommate is asleep and you are getting annoyed or stressed because of it, is to get out of your room. Go to the library, go to your dorm’s common area, go to a coffee shop, take a walk. Just go. Even if you don’t think it will help, give it a try for a few days and I promise it will.

2. Make a schedule

Something that I found helpful was to make a daily schedule and stick to it. It doesn’t have to plan out your entire day, but something like:

6:00 Get up, shower

7:00 Eat breakfast

8:00 Get coffee (if you haven’t at breakfast)

9:00 Go to class

If you have a basic schedule you won’t have time to get bothered by your one light illuminating your room. You’ll end up being more productive and having more time to study or relax before class because of your “goals” that you’ve set for the day.

           

3. Find out what you can do

If your roommate’s sleep schedule is bothering you, talk to your friends, your RA, or your parents. Find out if there are any single rooms on your floor or if one of your friend’s roommates is moving out. Then jump into action and snag that room! Obviously this is more of a drastic step, but they will let you change rooms if you have a good reason (which you do).

4. Talk it out

Yes, you should try to stay positive, but in some situations you need to have a brief minute to complain about your roommate struggles. I can bet you most of your friends will have had even minor issues with their roommates- you aren’t alone! And tell your parents, siblings, or family members what’s going on too. That way they’ll understand if you seem a little snappier or more stressed than usual.

5. Accept it

This one's pretty self explanatory, but once you realize that you can't change someone's habits, it gets easier. It's hard, not going to lie, but just think about how your roommate is feeling too. Maybe they don't like coming into the room when it's pitch black, or they feel like you're always in the room because they're sleeping when you're not. It's okay. Everyone goes through something like this. They've all gotten through it just fine and you will too.

I hope you guys liked this post! Do you have any roommate issues or any funny stories? Leave them below!

Hope you are having a great day!

Au Revoir!

"Life is a journey not a destination." -Ralph Waldo Emerson