The Necessity and Benefits of Sleep

I was the king of all-nighters during my senior year of college. I refined the art of writing 12-page research papers from start to finish in less than 8 hours and scraping together a decent grade. The sacrifice was sleep.

Photo Credit: kevin dooley

I stayed up all night, most of the next day, napped a little, and then crashed the following evening. I would maintain a constant flow of caffeine and techno music throughout the process to keep my energy and sanity just high enough to survive.

I was a functioning zombie and I made it work quite well. However, this lifestyle came with a multitude of side effects: drowsiness, nausea, headaches, dizziness, irritability, outbursts of anger and/or tears, lack of empathy, weight gain, poor hygiene, high blood pressure, and crazy OCD.

Necessity and Benefits of Sleep

The only reason I managed to maintain living like this for such a long time was due to the fact that every other person around me was doing the exact same thing. It was sanity by consensus. As long as enough of us were doing it, we weren’t crazy.

Having been removed from college for many years now, I haven’t pulled a single all-nighter since.

I guess I’m still amazed at the fact that I can’t live the same way I did during college. I want to go to the bars on the weekends, stay up until the sun rises, and live on the edge of sanity just for the hell of it.

However, now that I have experienced a life with abundant amounts of sleep it seems foolish to back track.

And no matter how much sleep I get, I always seem to want more.

Top Benefits of Sleep

1. Learning and Memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory
2. Metabolism and Weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness
5. Cardiovascular Health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the bodyís killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

*Benefits from the Harvard Women’s Health Watch

Sleep Becomes the Priority

I once heard a comedian say that when he was younger his sleeping interrupted his productivity, but now his productivity interrupts his sleeping. Funny and true.

I notice an enormous difference in my demeanor, energy level, productivity, and mood on the days I get the rest my body requires. Sleep in college was a luxury. Sleep in my life today is a necessity. I can’t life without it and I don’t want to.

Sleep truly is vital to my life and vital to accomplishing my ridiculous goals. In my head I want to be the kind of person who can go without sleep and get a lot done, but I know the consequences.

I might be able to get a decent amount done in the short-term, but it has lasting long-term effects that ultimately diminish my ability to function.

I lose the vibrance, the energy, and the life I want to live.

Nap Time

I’m making sleep a higher priority than in the past and Iím expecting great results. As a part of this goal I will also be incorporating nap times and recess, just like in elementary school. Sweet!