Sleep is often the first thing we sacrifice whether that is for academics, social life, work, etc. I am just as guilty as anyone else is. I have pulled several 1 am nights working on homework to then turn around and start my day again at 5 am. But where does this cycle end? Will it end when I graduate? When I get a promotion? The problem with this mindset is that we will continue to tell ourselves that it will get better after *fill in the blank*. But we can’t keep sacrificing our sleep. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of prioritizing sleep and provide tips for getting better rest.
Why It Matters
According to the Mental Health Foundation, we spend approximately a third of our lives sleeping. Sleep is crucial for overall health and well-being, impacting both physical and mental health. Physically, sleep is essential for muscle repair, immune system function, and hormone regulation. It also plays a vital role in mental health, affecting mood, stress levels, and cognitive function. According to the Mental Health Foundation, during sleep, we process information and consolidate memories, which help in learning and retaining information. The sleep cycle is much more complex to the human eye. We don’t always know what truly happens while we sleep. But, according to Cleveland Clinic, the body goes through four different sleep stages. Stage one is your lightest stage of sleep, which happens right after you fall asleep. The normal length for this stage is between one and seven minutes. Stage two is when you fall deeper in your sleep. Your brain slows down and truly relaxes, this is when your brain begins to organize your memories and information. The normal length for this stage is ten to twenty-five minutes. The third stage is your deepest sleep. During this stage, your brain waves are slow but very strong. Your body begins to repair injuries and reinforce your immune system. Without enough of this stage, this creates the sense of tiredness when you wake up from a nap or in the morning. The normal length for this stage lasts for 20-40 minutes. The last stage is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement. Which ironically is when dreams happen. An interesting fact is that during this stage your brain activity actually looks similar to when you are awake.
The Benefits of Sleep
There are many benefits of sleep, but here are a few that I feel are important.
- Better Mental Health: Adequate sleep can help your body manage stress and anxiety.
- Enhanced Physical Health: Cell and muscle growth and repair occur during sleep, so without sleep your body won’t fully recover fully from your day.
- Improved Focus and Attention: Lack of sleep reduces the ability to focus and maintain attention, which also impairs our decision-making and memory.
Tips for Better Sleep
Here are a couple of tips to help you to keep prioritizing sleep.
- Reduce light in your room.
- Avoid spending time on electronics before bed. Make sure that your electronics are far enough away from you when you sleep that they won’t be a distraction.
- Avoid caffeine and beverages late at night.
- Use an alarm clock instead of your phone for an alarm.
Conclusion
Prioritizing sleep is essential for anyone looking to enhance their overall well-being. By making sleep a priority and adopting healthy sleep habits, you can set yourself up for success both in and out of the classroom. So, tonight, instead of pulling an all-nighter, consider giving yourself a good night’s sleep, your body and mind will thank you for it.