Ok, ok. I’m sure you’ve heard it harped on about countless times before: 8 hours, 8 hours, 8 hours, blah, blah, blah. Clearly the lab coats that deemed this rule to be true never heard of a quick mocha after an all nighter. Not so smart anymore, are ya? Well maybe they are.
It’s a bit of a sticky situation if we’re being perfectly honest with ourselves; we think about sleep all day yet when our sheets call our name at night, we stop ourselves from hitting the hay. But why? Well, while there’s no one answer we can put our finger on. Rather, there’s a few large- albeit annoying- things that come to mind.
Phones. Dun, dun, dun! A word, when uttered, makes the elderly shudder like an irritated maraca. However, it’s beginning to have the same effect on your sleep schedule. It’s a simple equation: bluelight equals bad. As more and more cool, trendy young adults adorn their blue light glasses, it’s more evident that this idea is finally making its way into the spotlight. For those that have missed out on this fantastic new found fear, bluelight is omitted from phone screens and at night this is a big no no. It keeps you alert, practically pushing your worn out brain as far away from slumber as possible. By now, many people are aware of blue light and its effects, but I would like to propose another sleep-stopping side to your phone: scrolling. How often has five more minutes on Tik Tok turned into an hour? A marketing agency in the UK found that our thumbs do two marathons worth of scrolling a year! I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit that this is a prominent flaw of mine and I find it so hard to resist the goods Uncle Tics has to offer. But, it’s 1am, maybe it’s time to press the button on the right side of your iPhone. Your fingers can do some scrolling tomorrow.
The one thing the studious and the not so have in common is studying late the night before an assessment. The key to preparing yourself for a good night’s sleep is some hard mahi during the day; the classic quote “diamonds are made under pressure” does not apply after 12:30am. Full stop. It’s a trap we set for ourselves, to continuously leave work for our sleepy self at night. You work at night, you’re then tired during the day, you nap, and then you work at night again because you have no time during the day. This is what a conspiracy theorist would call an inside job. Sabotage. It’s important to learn that a good night’s sleep doesn’t just start when you get in your PJs and put your toothbrush down; it starts from waking up in the morning and making sure you’re being proactive and productive.
But, sometimes, when the phone is down and the work is done, sleep still doesn’t come. Sometimes, there aren’t enough bloody sheep in Waikato to be able to count you off to sleep. You know the types of nights I’m talking about, the ones where you do your best impression of an earthworm, wiggling and wobbling around but still finding no comfort at all. We might be afraid of the day ahead, it may be too hot, or it might just be something you can’t explain. It’s important in moments like these to not force yourself into sleep because you’ll just push it further away. Rather, what I recommend is getting out of sleep mode and doing a relaxing activity: read, meditate, or even simply get up and get a glass of water. Do whatever works for you to trigger a mental reset. The key is kindness; don’t beat yourself up for not being able to doze off, we’ve all been there.
But why should we focus on a good night of sleep? Although I still have my disputes with the scientific proven aids of a good night’s sleep (mainly it being able to help you grow when I’m still a firm 5′9”), it’s hard to negate the fact that it should be seen as essential for navigating your tough day ahead. Sleep can boost productivity and awareness, helping you to put more effort into your work as well as the things and people you love. Sleep helps your noggin’. And remember, while you’re under the sheets your mind is processing all the information it’s got during the day. The bottom line is, sleep can be just as helpful as study. Not as lazy as you thought, aye? Even better, the more time you get with your eyes closed, the bigger your smile is the next day. The best thing about all these facts is you don’t need some fancy sciencey person to perform some even fancier sciencey tests. You see it in yourself. How often have you woken up acting like a cookie deprived cookie monster because you haven’t treated yourself to the siesta you deserved. Far too often.
Let’s be honest, you knew about this issue before even reading. It’s no secret that things like phones and procrastination stop you from getting a good night’s rest and acting at your full potential the next day. I hope, however, that I was able to open those sleepy little eyes of yours and bring it to your attention. Basically what I’m trying to say is, tuck yourself in at a good time tonight. You’ve earned it.
