Tonight, I’m going to crawl into bed prior to 10 p.m. because I can and I should.
Too often in the last few weeks I’ve found myself staring at the ceiling at two in the morning, dreading my 8 a.m. class.
In the past few years, I’ve picked a week day, taken on all of my projects early in the day, and try to crawl into bed as early as possible.
Every time I’ve done it, I’ve woken up feeling new, refreshed and most importantly alert.
Last year when I did it, I fell asleep at 9:30 on a Tuesday, woke up and observed my peers.
Like something out of an episode of the Walking Dead, I watched classmates with their heads hung low trudge to class. unshaved faces and unshowered heads bobbed with every step as they inevitably tripped over their own feet every few steps.
We don’t get enough sleep. I see tweets about it every night from fellow Ferris students. I stay up, my mind wanders and the painful moments in my life keep me awake, like they have inevitably done to some of you.
According to the University of Georgia’s health center, most adults need somewhere between 6-10 hours of sleep per night. Those of us who find ourselves hugging the comforter for an extra two or more hours on the weekend are likely not getting enough sleep during the week.
If you think that you can sacrifice sleep to get more done, see how you feel when it gets you sick. Lack of sleep is known to compromise your immune system, allowing cold and flu to affect you in greater frequency.
There are plenty more issues that surround sleep deprivation. Cramming all-night is shown to lack productivity. Some of us can get away with us, but those who can are in the minority.
We, being young can handle a little less sleep. But we also deserve to experience a day without that kind of tired malaise.
So pick that night, treat yourself to a full night with your pillow.