Midterm season is behind us, and your campus is undoubtedly clogged with sluggish, over-caffeinated, exhausted, #stressedtodeath students just trying to stay alive (until those same individuals are out partying until the wee hours). You’re trying to get everything done (studying, working, practicing, rehearsing, etc. etc.) while still leaving space for yourself, but it’s pretty difficult. You need to make every hour count, yet somehow the hours in a day just aren’t enough, and you’re feeling overwhelmed and run-down. We’ve all been there (and some of us are here now), so I’d like to briefly discuss the importance of sleep and the benefits of rest on the mind.
1. Understanding Sleep
Interestingly enough, we’re not all too certain why humans need to sleep, but we know it definitely negatively impacts us if we don’t have it. Wikipedia defines sleep as a “naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles, and reduced interactions with surroundings.” In other words, sleep is a process that occurs in all human beings in which we’re out of touch with our surroundings and our bodies are at rest. However, our brain is actually incredibly active. Our bodies have to do lots of things while we’re asleep, such as processing memories and information, consolidating memories (transferring short-term memories to long-term memories), and growing muscle and repairing tissue, just to name a few! I’m sure you’ve heard that sleep is the best cure for a cold, which is fairly true; the immune system is also strengthened while your body is in sleep which leads to less illnesses.
2. Circadian Clock
The circadian clock greatly effects how much sleep we get. Wikipedia says that it’s a “complex neuro-chemical system which uses signals from an organism’s environment to recreate an internal day–night rhythm.” Basically, circadian rhythms help regulate the body’s sleep-wake schedule. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences states that daylight is one of the most important factors in determining circadian rhythms, so it’s no wonder that as soon as a professor dims the lights in a classroom, all the sleep-deprived students immediately start napping. These circadian rhythms can impact everything from hormone release to bodily temperatures, and irregular rhythms can be a cause behind some serious health problems like obesity, depression, and bipolar disorder.
3. Why?
So why exactly is it so important to get some quality rest? We know now that our brains and bodies are actually very busy during sleep, and in addition to preventing illness and growing muscle tissue, a good night’s sleep is known to improve learning (both academic and skill-related), increase your energy and productivity, help with decision making and problem solving, balance your hormones, and even heal your blood vessels and heart! Without a proper night’s sleep, you can suffer from micro-sleep, poor performance at work/school, mood swings, etc, not to mention the severe conditions you’re more at risk of contracting, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes.
4. What Now?
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, adults need approximately 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Lots of things can get in the way of these integral hours of rest (Stranger Things season 2, you are ruining us!!) but we really do need them, especially college students. From classes to sports to rehearsals to club meetings it seems we’re always doing something. This may not seem very possible for us busy students (#thegrindneverstops) but we can definitely try harder to get to sleep a little earlier. We can also take a short, midday nap and exercise a bit during the evenings which has been proven to improve sleep, as well as create (and stick to) a strict sleep schedule for ourselves.
Keeping this list in mind, if you’re not able to get to sleep for some reason, whether it’s due to loud noises, that one roommate that keeps turning on the light far too late at night, or chronic insomnia, please talk to a professional (or your roommate or RA) about it, and try as hard as you can to get the sleep your body (and mind) rightfully deserve so that you can function at your highest capacity!
Sources:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep
National Institute of General Medical Sciences: https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/pages/Factsheet_CircadianRhythms.aspx
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep#cite_note-nih-1
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why