“Sleep lingers all our lifetime about our eyes, as night hovers all day in the boughs of the fir-tree.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
We have been told since childhood that we need eight hours of sleep for optimum health, performance, and safety…but what about happiness? Surprisingly, there is a direct correlation between sleep and happiness. Adequate sleep levels helps us deal with stress by releasing specific hormones imperative for growth and development. It helps us remember, by maintaining information for long-term assignments.
Nevertheless, college students are among the most sleep-deprived individuals, according to a Brown University study. The researchers concluded that only 11% have good sleep quality, and 73% have occasional sleep problems. Interestingly enough, 30% of female students have suffered from insomnia, as opposed to 20% of males, due to hormonal issues.
The stress accumulated from rigorous academic and social schedules is mostly to blame, US News reports. We students tend to underestimate the value of sleep in our lives as we attempt to gain alertness through weekend crashes, alcohol, or even drugs. The poll also concluded that 20% of students pull an all-nighter at least once a month, whereas 35% stay up until 3 a.m. at least once a week.
So what’s truly the issue? Do we just hate sleep and shun napping? The truth is, many university students bust their butts to support themselves financially and academically, two activities that may not allow for relaxation even in the ‘real world’. We want to improve society though volunteerism and extracurricular activities, but doing so also calls for sacrifice.
Lately, I’ve resolved to waking up at 7:00am (as opposed to 15 minutes before class). Getting up two hours earlier lets me partake in activities that, otherwise, I would have little time for. I started a brief exercise routine (one of the perks of living next door to the gym); I have met up with a few athletes for breakfast; and I got to feel grown up as I browsed through a hard copy of the New York Times. The simple pleasures provide me with a boost of energy and… happiness.
The morning is hard for many people, but try to:
- Exercise – People who regularly exercise have fewer episodes of sleeplessness. Simply raising your heart rate for 20 to 30 minutes five days a week will dramatically improve your sleep quality by helping your body transition more smoothly. Try walking to class rather than taking the shuttle, gaining motivation with an exercise buddy, or signing up for a PE credit.
- Nap – If you can limit napping to an hour or less, the boos to energy before work or after class makes a big difference. Power naps not only boost tiredness, but improves the brain’s ability to absorb new information.
- Ritualize – Author Gretchen Rubin proposes a pre-sleep ritual. It becomes easier to procrastinate on getting sleep when you have to get ready for bed. To combat this, I will change into pajamas after dinner, slather on my skin medication after showering, and I brush my teeth right after dinner.
- Delegate – I use my bed solely for resting to strengthen the association of bed and sleep. Okay, so this doesn’t seem practical when we’re scrammed in dorms the sizes of cardboard boxes. However, assigning duties to my furniture has encouraged me to visit the lbirary and eat in the cafeteria more often. After an exhausting day, the only thing on my mind is jumping into bed.
Your Fellow Blogger,
Nicole
Did I miss any sleep-inducing strategies? Furthermore, do you think sleep deprivation exacerbates after college?
* Complete the Learner’s Day Planner on time management. It’s interesting to see where the time goes.
*Email your future self with words of inspiration at Future Me.
* Advice for recent college graduates, from the folks at The Simple Dollar.
Happyness University Blog 