Well, folks, it’s time to kick into beast mode. You’ll need one key thing as we sprint our way through the finish line; something we rely on so much, but give ourselves so little of…sleep.
Ah yes, sleep, the paramount factor in human functioning. Sleep is essential in getting us through the day, whether it’s school, work, family, or a combination of them all. Sleep is what allows us to manage the complexities of everyday tasks. But, why is it so important? The number one reason sleep is so essential, is to conserve energy. For the same reasons you turn off a flashlight or computer- if you didn’t temporarily shut them down, they would eventually burnout and the batteries would die. The same goes for us, if we are constantly on auto-pilot and don’t allow ourselves a rest period, we too, will burnout and collapse from exhaustion. There are 24-hours in a day, and you spend (or should spend) a third of that time conserving the energy you’ll need to get through the next day.
Sleeping also aids in memory and learning. A large portion of memory storage is performed in our REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the stage in which we are in a deep sleep, and where dreaming occurs. The more cycles of REM sleep we get in one night, the more our brains are able to retain the newly obtained information of the day (i.e. material from the day’s lectures). Other bonuses of sleep, are an increase in attention and assitance in decision making.
Let’s try and put all this into perspective. Ever pull an all-nighter? Studying for an exam, writing a paper, finishing up a project, we’ve all been there. Where we stay up all night cramming, get a few hours of sleep (enough for one or two cycles of REM), wake up the next morning, and go on to take that test or present that project, fueling yourself with caffeine just to make it through the day. You’re tired, lethargic, irritated, cranky, and your overall mood just sucks. Your hair isn’t coming out right, you clumsily spill coffee on yourself, the traffic is unusually cruel, you forgot to charge you phone overnight, you need to get gas, and all that studying you did the night before has suddenly slipped your mind. That, is what sleep deprivation will do to you. You can’t control your emotions, every decision you make is the wrong one, you make clumsy mistakes and you basically CAN’T EVEN!
Now, imagine you got a good night’s sleep, the whole recommended eight to nine hours of peaceful slumber. You wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and to the smell of coffee (because you remembered to set the auto timer on last night), not only did your braid come out right first try, you even have time to make a quick breakfast before heading out the door, early enough to avoid the traffic. And you show up to class and knock that test out.
I understand that our full-time work load combined with a job and other activities may be so time-demanding. But what’s the point in tiredly going to class, work, or practice if our performance is not at its best? We can’t expect ourselves to put our best foot forward if we can’t even keep our eyes open long enough to put one foot in front of the other.
Sleep also helps activation of our immune system, and gives us younger and healthier looking skin. Good health, happy mood, youthful look, smart choices, heightened alertness, and readiness to tackle any debacles life decides to throw at you. What’s not to love about the benefits of sleep?
So, now’s the time to start rethinking our sleeping patterns, and start trading in that all-nighter for a few more hours of shut eye. And what better time to start since this Sunday is Daylight Savings, that wondrous time of the season where we roll our clocks back and enjoy another hour of beauty sleep.