Don’t let results day take your sleep!

Results day. Dread comes in waves  from just typing the words. For many reasons, it’s a day in your  life that you will never forget. A flurry of thoughts hit you at a mile a minute. This is the future. It’s make or break. Failure is  the only thing you can imagine. How will your survive if you don’t  make the grade?!

Take a deep breath.

Spoilers are the scourge of the internet, but here’s  one that won’t ruin your day: no matter what happens, you will be fine. Your future is what you make it, regardless of some letters  on a piece of paper. You shouldn’t worry, and you certainly  shouldn’t be losing any sleep. Silentnight’s resident sleep expert Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan has some tips to help you drift off into a peaceful, exam-free slumber.

1) Resist the temptation to wallow

We all love a good wallow. Self-pity  is a great safety blanket when life isn’t going your way, but it  can be a dangerous pitfall too. Don’t dwell too much on your  situation. If you haven’t achieved what you aimed for, look at how  you can move forward. What can you do to make the best of the situation? Don’t sabotage your options or your health by spending  long periods alone, sad about your results Interact with people,  talk to teachers, friends and family to help you through. 

Value yourself enough to move on.  You’re great! 

2) Practice ‘the worst possible scenario’ 

Stress can overwhelm you, and the  worst-case scenario can seem like the only case scenario. If your brain is sending you one way, try to go the other. Use your  imagination to ask yourself ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’  Write out all the possible alternatives, even if they seem a little ridiculous. 

Once you have done this, reflect on  any positives that can come out of the situation. 

Many successful people look back at  their failures and realise the positives that have come out of the  situation.

3) Treat yourself

Whether you got the  grades you wanted or not, take the time to do something that you  find fun. Whether it’s going to your favourite restaurant, visiting  a friend, or watching your favourite film, make sure you do  something that lets you spend a little time in your happy  place. 

4) Sleep

Zzzzzzzzz. Bet you saw this one  coming. 

It’s true – a good night’s sleep can  solve any problem. Sleep allows the body and the mind to rebalance.  When you’re in such a state, there is that temptation to have a  blow out because what’ve you got to lose? On the odd occasion this  is fine, but make sure you get the balance back in your life afterwards. Eat healthily, exercise and try to stick to a bedtime  routine that lets your body wind down and relax. It may be  difficult, but try to have at least one hour free from technology and social media before you go to bed. 

For more sleep tips and for  information on Silentnight’s range of beds, visit www.silentnight.co.uk/sleep-matters