Want to know why you have such low grades, loss of strength and energy, poor health, but you can’t find the problem? What if your sleep schedule is going to bed at 1 am, waking up at 6am, and feeling groggy all day – that’s the problem? ¨No, it can’t be, I only need 6 hours to sleep.¨ is a common response from students. But if you are not part of the rare 3% of the population, then this is really not enough for you. At best, a person needs 8 hours of sleep, but if it is not possible in your schedule, allocate 8 hours for sleep. No? Then try to carve out at least 7.
Sleep has a great influence on our lives. Freshman Kirill Butaev shared his opinion on this topic with us: “I think that sleep is really important, and the amount of sleep you have at night can strongly affect your working efficiency, and how you will think. Your mind will be more clear because the brain will have enough rest from the previous day, and be ready to do new things today if you have enough sleep. If you don’t, it might give you headaches, pain in your legs/arms, and a bad mood. All of these factors will affect how you do the work, think, and communicate.” Kirill’s point of view on the idea of getting enough sleep is correct, but does he get enough sleep himself? “On school days I sleep from 7 to 8 hours, and on weekends from 9 to 10 and my grades are solid, about 75% passing overall.” Not bad, not bad, that is, sleep still affects attentiveness in class. But what if a person has insomnia?
For people who have trouble falling asleep, there are a few things they can try. The first is called the 10-hour rule. First, you start with 10 hours before bed: no more caffeine, 3 hours before bed: no more eating, 2 hours before bed: no more work, 1 hour before bed: no more screen time. Yes, many people fall asleep only by scrolling through TikTok or Instagram before bed, just try to put down your phone at least once just for your own sake. If you can’t sleep in a quiet room and need something to talk about, turn on a podcast or audiobook, it will create something like white noise that will help you fall asleep. Maybe you will find any habits useful that Ms.Ross, a biology teacher, shared with us. “Ironic that I talk about sleep because I usually have problems when I have trouble sleeping. It has to do with me having a hyperactive mind. I’ve learned some things that helped me. I can’t be on my phone on my computer because it will start my brain to work and I will think about a lot of stuff. Also, I can’t go to a room where it is quiet, so I have a balance of music going or I have TV going. Just a show that I’ve seen a bunch of times. I like to take a warm shower or do something that makes me cozy.”
If you still think “Nah, I am okay” JUST TRY IT!!!!! It’s worth getting at least one week of normalized sleep (7-8 hours) and you’ll feel better.
