Selena Legacy
Equinox Staff
Sleep. We all need it. But college students can sometimes find it hard to get all those hours in. Racing around the clock. Pulling all nighters just to keep up with the grades — we’ve all been there. Keeping your mental health stable is also very important; sleep involves more than closing your eyes and waking up running out the door, trying not to be late for class. Sleep is how we keep sane.
83 million people a year aren’t getting the recommended seven hours of sleep. 63 percent of college students have reported that they feel tired or sleepy during the week. Sleep deficiencies have been linked to students academic performance, weight, drug abuse, depression, and more. The importance of sleep is so each day we can wake up and be restored, both physically and mentally, due to the release of reparative chemicals. During sleep, the brain gets cleared, learning is processed, and memories are cemented in the brain. Those who aren’t receiving the right amount of hours of sleep for their body will feel more stress, and won’t remember details about the past day
Your sleep cycle consists of Rapid Eye Movement, or REM sleep, and Non-REM sleep. REM sleep is when dreams occur. In contrast, Non-REM sleep is restful sleep with slowed brain activity. During the night, these two switch on and off every 90 minutes. Each hour and a half is one cycle. Sleep varies from person to person. Sleep can be affected by many things including: your gender, your health and lifestyle.
To get a good night’s sleep, it is suggested that one must be in a cooler room, around 65 degrees. Also, set a time to start settling down, making the room dim and quiet. Your bed is only for sleep. No studying in your bed, as you’ll then start to associate work with your bed and this could make it harder to fall asleep. Another thing to keep in mind is keeping your room tidy. A messy room provokes stress, making you feel restless. Lastly, make sleeping a ritual. Get ready for bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. This will make your body used to a schedule. Doing this makes your body crave sleep at the same time, which ensures that you will get enough sleep for the following day. We, as college students, deserve to stay level headed and enjoy our classes without feeling drowsy and stressed from not getting a full night’s rest.
Selena Legacy can be contacted at
slegacy@kscequinox.com
