By Miah Loveday
Hey Tigers! Daylight Saving Time (DST) is fast approaching, and as we gear up to lose that extra hour, I’ve been thinking about something we college students tend to sacrifice way too often: sleep. Between juggling classes, social life, and— for many of us— work; rest often gets pushed to the back burner. But with everything that goes into adulting, why do we keep hearing that getting a good night’s sleep is so important?
Well, it’s because when you don’t get enough sleep—or when your sleep quality is poor—you feel it immediately. Fatigue, brain fog, and mood swings ring a bell? On the flip side, when you sleep well, your body gets to repair itself, your brain clears out toxins, and your energy reserves are restored. According to the Cleveland Clinic (2024), quality sleep plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy immune system, supporting emotional stability, and improving memory and learning. Sleep helps regulate hormones that control appetite and stress, reduces the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, and boosts focus and productivity during the day.
So, how do you actually get those benefits from sleep? Great question. It all comes down to Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep—named for those quick eye movements that happen behind your eyelids—makes up about 25% of your total sleep cycle (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). This is where the magic happens: your brain processes memories, your mood stabilizes, and your creativity recharges.
Unfortunately, many of us rarely reach that stage because of inconsistent or unhealthy sleep patterns. REM sleep occurs in the deepest part of your cycle, but when you stay up late scrolling or studying, your body doesn’t get enough time to fully sink into it. So, while FOMO might have kept you up all night, it’s time to develop a new kind of fear—the fear of missing out on good sleep. Sweet dreams, Tigers!
ReferenceCleveland Clinic. (2024, March 18). Sleep basics: REM sleep, NREM sleep, sleep stages & cycles. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12148-sleep-basics