Sleep is Not for the Weak

By Anna Mayock

I’m sure that everyone knows the benefits of sleep. I am not here to preach about why you should sleep more. I am not here to hit you with statistical data about the importance of sleep for maintaining a healthy brain and physical functioning. I am not here to tell you to sleep for eight plus hours every single night because, let’s face it, that’s just not realistic. In college, homework, sports, and social gatherings all eat into our “eight hours a night,” leaving sleep on the back burner for most of us. I am not here to advise you about what will happen if you don’t prioritize sleep and what will happen if you do. I am here, however, to tell you that sleep is not for the weak. It has transformed my life. 

Scientific studies aside, sleep has had a profound impact on my own life. Prior to prioritizing my sleep, I was averaging four to five hours of sleep a night. School, extracurriculars, and parties were at the forefront of my interest and my focus. However, after experiencing extreme burnout my junior year of college, I realized that I had to make a change. After speaking to a therapist, friends, and family, I began to integrate a healthier sleep cycle into my routine. It did not happen every night (I am, of course, still a college student), but I have been able to find more balance between school, social life, and time for myself.

The number one change that sleep has made in my own life is my mood. I am emotionally more stable, more productive, and happier after a full night of sleep. I make more rational decisions that benefit my overall well-being. For example, after sleeping an adequate amount for my body, I feel more inclined to move my body or eat in a way that is beneficial to me. By having a more balanced sleep schedule, I have put far more energy and effort into my physical health, which in turn has had profound benefits on my mentality. 

I’m not saying to stop socializing or to slack off in school because you need to sleep eight hours each and every night. For most of us, that is not realistic each night. However, I am saying that sleep deprivation had serious negative consequences in my life, and I believe that finding time to offer ourselves grace through sleep is of utmost importance for a college student. 

Even in college, sleep is not for the weak.