Throughout high school and my freshman year of college, I never understood the benefits of a good night's rest. Balancing schoolwork, college applications, Key Club, and trying to maintain a social life during my senior year in high school, I spent most nights awake and at my desk. I slept for three or four hours every night with the mindset that I only needed enough sleep to power through the school day, and then going home and crashing for at least four hours. I probably napped more than I actually slept.
Finally, this semester, I got a much needed wake-up call (ehhhhhhh?). Whenever I didn't sleep enough or well enough, I would feel groggy and I had no motivation for the day ahead of me. All I wanted to do was skip class and crawl back into bed. Even if I did get out of bed, I relied on coffee to keep me up. Around finals week, I realized that my methods weren't working--my grades weren't any better if I studied until three or four in the morning. If anything, they were worse compared to when I slept at least seven hours a night. Like most college students, I waited until finals week to cram an entire semester's worth of information into my head. But instead of staying up, I decided to not waste time and study during the day.
Finally, this semester, I got a much needed wake-up call (ehhhhhhh?). Whenever I didn't sleep enough or well enough, I would feel groggy and I had no motivation for the day ahead of me. All I wanted to do was skip class and crawl back into bed. Even if I did get out of bed, I relied on coffee to keep me up. Around finals week, I realized that my methods weren't working--my grades weren't any better if I studied until three or four in the morning. If anything, they were worse compared to when I slept at least seven hours a night. Like most college students, I waited until finals week to cram an entire semester's worth of information into my head. But instead of staying up, I decided to not waste time and study during the day.
I know people who actually study all day and night in order to understand the material (apologies to the engineering, pre-med, and pharmacy students), but most use the "I have all night" excuse to fool around during the day and waste precious daylight. I watched my friend down three Red Bulls in the four hours we were studying together, and he said that he stayed up all night studying. At first, I thought he was just being efficient, but as I studied with him, I realized how much studying he was not getting done. Most of the time, he struggled to stay awake and focused on the subject.
Sleep is important to the brain--it refreshes it and prepares it for the next day. This way, you can stay alert and focus on more important things rather than how tired you are. It also helps retain the information that might otherwise be lost forever once it leaves your short-term memory.
Long story short? Sleep well and live well.
How are your sleep habits?
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