I think it’s safe to say that every university and college student cringes at the word ‘midterm’ – that time of the year that consists of long gruelling hours of studying combined with doses upon doses of caffeine. I myself fall victim to that cycle time and time again but with one minor but significant change: sleep.
Not to say that if you spend all day everyday in bed you are going to get As. It’s not an exact science and I think it varies from person to person. However, pulling all nighters and running your body off of caffeine just isn’t going to cut it if you really are looking to score big.
Sleep isn’t just about giving our minds a break; our bodies use this time for many different processes like muscle and cell repair, hormone release, memory consolidation (and for the sake of the non science majors, this is as far into detail as I’ll go). Without these, we can’t expect our bodies and minds to keep up and support us through our hectic days, no matter how many lattes and energy drinks we chug.
Now I realize we can’t just wave our magic wands and program 9 hours of sleep into our daily schedules. Since returning to school in the fall I have constantly struggled with sleep and the consequences that come with not getting enough. Things that I personally found useful to get a start in the right direction are:
- Organize – have a planner, write down your schedule and activities for the day
- Prioritize – Rome was not built in a day, so don’t think you can get all of your studying done in one either
- Breathe – Believe that you are doing the best you can do with the time allotted
Letting yourself have those extra couple hours of sleep can sometimes feel unproductive or lazy or make you feel like you’re slacking. However, by making sure you are getting enough sleep, you are taking responsibility for yourself and your studies by keeping yourself healthy and ready to work. So next time your body is demanding that extra hour, instead of going straight for the espresso, cconsider the more restful option.