Larena Tannert is a second year student in journalism and opinion columnist for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the Mustang media group.
Towards the end of my first year, after a week to survive with less than five hours of sleep every night, I found myself looking at my computer in my common room, trying to finish a simple assignment which should have taken 30 minutes.
Tonight has become my break point. I quickly realized that sleep was much more important than ever. Once I learned to prioritize it, my physical, social and emotional health has improved considerably. I would like to know what I know now: to sleep a priority is not only good for your health, it actually improves your notes.
Two hours had passed and I only wrote one paragraph. My eyes fell and I slowly nodded, dispersed thoughts when I leaned over my chair.
Earlier in the day, I knew myself completely during a discussion in class. When the professor called me, I had to ask him shamefully to repeat the question. Returning to my room that evening, I almost entered traffic because I had lost any capacity to concentrate or finish simple tasks, like looking in both directions before crossing a street.
The worst? I didn’t even party or procrastinate. I was really trying to manage my busy schedule: take lessons and intramurals while maintaining a semblance of social life.
Sleep had become a consumable luxury in my crowded timetable – the first thing sacrificed when the weather is short. I was going to sleep at 3 am every night, often on the sofa in the common room of my dormitory rather than on my own bed.
When I arrived on campus for the first time, I quickly learned that the college lifestyle often sleeps as sleep as optional. Between social events, club meetings, study groups and assignments, sleep becomes the first thing to be sacrificed. The pressure to do everything can be overwhelming.
I pulled nights before the exams and I was standing late to finish the papers. I thought everyone was doing this. I mean, enter any place of academic study and you will see it: students have runs to laptops, to hug coffee and to boast about the way they slept little.
The results? My concentration has weakened, my anxiety has increased and, surprisingly, my notes suffered despite spending more time studying.
So I made a decision that changed everything: I prioritized sleep.
Now, I aim at 9 to 10 hours every night, even (especially) during the weeks of examination. This sometimes means saying no to meeting places at the end of the evening or to departure missions earlier during the day. But the advantages were undeniable.
First, my school performance has improved considerably. Research supports this – Sleep helps consolidate memories and improve productivity. These additional hours of study earned by jumping sleep? They are actually counterproductive when your brain is too exhausted to operate.
Second, my mental health has stabilized. Sleep deprivation is strongly linked to anxiety and depressionalready widespread problems among students. When I am well rested, I can manage stress more effectively and maintain a positive attitude.
Third, my benefits for physical health. Regular sleep strengthens immunity,, supports healthy weight managementand gives me the energy of physical activity. As a person who plays Beach Volley almost daily, it is important for me to be energized and refreshed, something that a good night’s sleep offers.
Of course, maintaining good sleep habits in college requires a strategy and discipline. I learned to keep a coherent sleeping schedule, even on weekends, to use my bed only to sleep, and not to study, to create a relaxing pre-soundtrack routine, to plan large assignments to avoid last-minute panic and minimize caffeine afternoon.
College is a period of immense growth and opportunity. The pressure to maximize every moment is real. But I learned that sacrificing sleep does not give us more time, it makes the time that we have less productive and pleasant.
So, to my students’ comrades: sleep is not lazy. It’s strategic. It’s personal care. And it could be the competitive advantage you need to prosper and reach academic success.