Importance Of Sleep
College
is packed full of activities all day long and even all night. I have already
had a night until 2am in Davis Library and I have heard much later from friends
finishing papers. I am having a blast but I know I have definitely been
skimping out on my sleep. Sleep is extremely important and I hate to miss but
sometimes it is inevitable. There can be many negative health implications for
not getting a full night sleep. For teenagers the suggested sleep time is 8.5-9
hours. I do not know how anyone would be able to stick to this suggestion and
manage school and extracurricular. Negative implications include increased risk
of obesity, decreased productivity during the day, and increased moody swings
such as irritability. The most stunning fact I found is that “After several nights of losing sleep—even a loss
of just 1–2 hours per night—your ability to function suffers as if you haven't
slept at all for a day or two.” I know that if I do not get enough sleep I am extremely grumpy and not pleasant to be around the next day. So what are some of the benefits of getting
enough sleep? One of the most beneficial for us at college is that it will help
us retain information better. "Studies show that a good
night's sleep improves learning. Whether you're learning math, how to play the
piano, how to perfect your golf swing, or how to drive a car, sleep helps
enhance your learning and problem-solving skills. Sleep also helps you pay
attention, make decisions, and be creative." Most people are not even
aware that sleep depravation is affecting them. One example of this is that
drowsy drivers do not believe that their ability to drive is affect, but in
reality “it can be affect as much as or more than being drunk.” Does being aware of these effects make you
want to get more sleep? If so how much sleep do you estimate you need each
night to be able to function properly the next day? What will you do in the
future to insure that you’re getting an appropriate amount of sleep?
2 comments:
I was in utter shock after reading this blog post because I get between 5 and 6 hours of sleep per night. Though I would love to sleep a few more hours, it just doesn’t seem plausible with the workload assigned by the classes that I’m enrolled in, the meetings for clubs I’m a part of, the work I put in at a lab, and the social events I try to squeeze in. Though it may appear that I’ve taken on too many responsibilities, for my sanity and future aims, all of the activities I participate in are necessary. After reading the attached article, I’ve come to question whether I’m doing more harm to myself than good. Am I really being negatively burdened by my lack of sleep? I don’t feel worn out at this moment, but is it gradually building up? Will I suddenly get infected by a virus or germ and then become incapacitated for a week due to the lack of strength in my body/suppressed immune system? These questions have begun to haunt me and as a result, I am planning on mandating that I sleep no less than 7.5 hours per night and on the weekends I aim on sleeping the healthy number of hours.
Thanks for the great post, Matt! Even though I’ve constantly heard about the importance of sleep (mostly through middle-school health classes), I have been reminded of how important adequate sleep is by your blog. I’ve usually heard the suggested sleep time quoted as 8 hours a night, but it does make sense that the suggested sleep time for teenagers includes an additional hour per night, since we are still in a period of rapid growth. Either way, I’m definitely not meeting the requirements—I’m averaging 6 to 7 hours a night (still better than my sleep patterns in high school, anywhere from 5 to 8 hours a night).
If you (or your readers) are thinking about changing your sleep patterns, one thing to consider is your class schedule. I’ve heard that teenagers naturally get sleepy later than children and adults, around 11 pm, so according to the suggested 9 hours of sleep, you should be going to bed around 11 and waking up at 8 AM. Take this into account while planning out your classes for next semester—go for classes later than 8 AM to give yourself a little more time for sleep! You’ll be better rested and more ready for class.
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