Lately I feel more tired than usual. School this past week has been very busy recently as the quarter is coming to an end, and teachers think that this is the perfect time to start piling up work. Sleep is one of the only times where I feel relaxed, however all this work has got me staying up way longer than I want. I am used to sleeping late and not getting enough sleep, however this need for sleep is slowly catching up with me.
Thinking that I did not really need sleep was a bad idea. The effects of sleep deprivation were more severe then I thought. Sleep deprivation is linked with many effects that range from depression to memory problems to hallucinations to headaches. Even though I suffer from none of these I often find myself exhausted at school, yawning in the middle of lectures, and finding it hard to stay awake during my classes. Just this morning I woke up with my eyes-bloodshot red from the lack of sleep. Not a healthy sign.
This is probably a sign that I should start making changes to get more amounts of sleep. Even though this week has been one of the worst, I guess all this work is manageable if I put my mind on it. Reflecting back, a lot of times the reason for me staying up so late is due to bad habits. Cutting back on emails and TV could be a big contributor to sleeping earlier. However this is easier said then done. Everybody needs their own free time.
Overall, taking my advice, and trying to sleep earlier could cause wonders to having better days. I have realized that sleep is essential, and getting the recommended eight hours now seems like a very good idea. Alas, it is already very late, I should take my own advice and get ready to sleep.
I still don't understand why at the end of every single quarter(or just before or after a break like Agora Days), we get a ton of assignments to do. I understand that the teachers are trying to fit as much into a unit as they can, but the whole things seems silly. Even if you only have 2 tests in a day, you can still end up having 4-5 major assignments due within a couple of days of one another. This makes sleep nearly impossible to get and you're even more ineffective in school.
ReplyDeleteI love sleeping, so I completely agree with your post. Unfortunately, I am much more of a nighttime person than a morning person - I always have lots of energy in the evenings, but than I have so much trouble getting up in the morning. So I always end up feeling exhausted in my morning classes. I wish I could just sleep until noon every morning!
ReplyDeleteLack of sleep is a prevalent, pressing issue for high schoolers. The amount of bleary, darkened eyed student-zombies that wander the halls with coffee wafting from their breaths is becoming alarming, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteJunior year was the worst, with respect to the dearth of time for sleeping. While I could tell you that you have plenty of time for rest and recuperation senior year, it seems as if none take advantage of it. Perhaps the internet is to blame, but it's more likely that the prior work-filled years acclimated the mind and body to the point where everyone is too desensitized to their mental plight.
I always find my self longing for more sleep during the school year. Sport and other after school activities get me extremely behind on sleep and the I really feel the effects of sleep deprivation. I watched a great funny documentary recently that is about sleep deprivation called "A Million in the Morning". The movie is about a contest to break the recrd for watching the most movies in a row without falling asleep, the record is 57 movies in 123 hours. Check out the trailer: http://www.amillioninthemorning.com/
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. It is so hard to just function as a human being by the end of most weeks. I hate how teachers seem to have a supernatural ability to make all of our huge assignments due at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI've been in that position so many times, oh i'll just go to sleep after one more show quickly turns into an all night activity. Excellent post very relatable, as well as humorous.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else who commented, I find staying up late to be much easier than getting up early. I've always wondered why high schools start as early as they do, especially when most of the population is sleep deprived.
ReplyDeleteI have such a problem when it comes to sleep. Either I don't get enough, or I get so much that I feel lethargic throughout the day. Naturally, I have found that coffee is the best way to cure my sleeping problems. However, in the long run, it probably is not the best idea.
ReplyDeleteMy typical sleep schedule gives me 5.5 hours from 8 PM to 1:30 AM. And if that math is wrong, it's because I'm too tired to do it correctly. Having that extra time is so nice, but being totally unaware for the rest of the day can be realy frustrating...
ReplyDeleteAs the years have gone on, I've find myself being less able to handle sleep deprivation. I used to go to sleep at midnight, and wake up at 6 AM to finish homework. Now I'd rather work till 1 and sleep till 7. I used to also never fall asleep in class. Now, I'm afraid, it happens far too often. Even when I do get a good 8 hours of sleep, which is rare during the week, I still find myself sleepy and dozing off in class. Maybe all my years of procrastinating, staying up late, and sleeping in all weekend, break, and summer long is finally catching up with me.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Like everyone else, I can really identify with what you are talking about. It's hard to find the time and motivation to get on a healthy sleep schedule, especially when there aren't that many people out there actually telling us to put our health first. This year I've really been noticing the effects of sleep deprivation in my own life. I try go to bed at a decent hour, simply because if I don't get a certain amount of sleep then I become extremely unpleasant to be around. I'm often faced with making the choice between getting sleep and studying for a test or writing a paper.
ReplyDeleteSpring break is coming up. Hopefully we'll all be able to catch up on some sleep then...
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