Importance of Sleep
Magis Musing #6: Why is getting enough sleep so challenging? What is your “sleep hygiene”? Has it changed since you got to college? What do you notice about yourself depending on how much sleep you got? Would you like to change anything about your sleep habits?
I believe getting enough sleep is challenging due to several factors including procrastination, heavy workload, and cellular devices. Looking back on my fall semester, I regret spending more time than I necessarily needed in Lau or HFSC doing work which heavily cut the amount of sleep I got each night. Realistically I could have finished my work by around 10:00 pm and gone back to my room to be in bed by 11:00 pm. However, I would get distracted talking with my friends and stay in Lau until midnight. This semester I am trying to complete my work in a quiet space alone and working on balancing my time more effectively. Another obstacle to getting enough sleep is spending too much time on my phone or laptop. I have frequently experienced the temptation of looking over at my phone when a notification pops up or scrolling through Instagram when I should be sleeping. Russell Foster’s TED Talk “Why do we sleep?” emphasized the importance of reducing light exposure a half-hour before going to bed by turning off mobile phones and computers. In an attempt to be more aware of the amount of time I spend on my phone, I turn on the screen time option which provides me with weekly updates and allows me to set a time limit on certain apps. Coming to college, some other potential obstacles are homesickness, roommate disagreements, and loud neighbours.
In Foster’s TED Talk, he also addressed that teenagers need around nine hours of sleep but many are only getting around five hours of sleep. I try to get around seven to eight hours of sleep each day but that can shift depending on how many assignments or tests I have in the upcoming week and how I spend my weekends. I have noticed there are similarities between high school and college students in their attitude towards sleep. Students carry this false perception that getting less sleep is indicative of how hard you studied. After a test, I always hear students asking each other “How much sleep did you get?” and comparing who got fewer hours of sleep. In these situations, I try not to feel peer pressure but rather move at my own pace. I think my “sleep hygiene” changed negatively when I got to college because I was surrounded by other college students 24/7 that influenced me to develop certain unhealthy habits. Since starting work at a coffee shop, for example, my caffeine intake has dramatically increased which prevents me from going to sleep early. I can improve my “sleep hygiene” by reducing my intake of caffeine, exercising, and avoid eating snacks before going to bed. I have also been keeping a “Two Week Sleep Diary” which helps me see my sleep patterns and habits. I noticed that on days where I had a lot of assignments, I slept only around five hours and drank a lot more caffeine. By keeping track of the number of hours I sleep each day and certain factors that influence my sleep schedule, I have been able to make improvements to make sure I get enough sleep each day. Depending on how much sleep I get, I notice changes in my mood, concentration level, and attentiveness. On days that I got enough sleep, I was a lot more positive, energized, and overall in a better mood. On the other hand, when I did not get enough sleep, I was cranky, stressed, and less attentive. I also observed that on days I pulled an all-nighter I felt the effects two nights later.
In conclusion, getting enough sleep is essential to flourishing in college and any environment as it increases concentration, attention, decision making, creativity, and health while reducing mood changes, levels of anger, and impulsivity.
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