When it comes to healthy habits, regular sleep is vital

Sleep is essential. How else could students survive cramming for tests while still making it out on the town. That pre-party power nap is essential. Many students are stressed during finals and midterms and have a difficult time getting consistent sleep. Sleeping plays an integral part in the functioning of our brains. If we are not well rested, we will not perform well, mentally or physically.
I’ve noticed a clear lack of sleep among many of the students here at USD. It affects not only performance in the classroom, but leads to greater susceptibility for sickness.
With the seasonal and H1N1 strains of the flu breaking out all over the place, I’m sure that everyone wants to avoid getting sick. With the end of the semester and finals quickly approaching, no one can afford to miss class.
So, what should we do to increase in-class performance and avoid getting sick? Sleep more. It certainly sounds simple enough; all you have to do is sleep longer.
The more time we spend sleeping, the more efficient our time spent on school work will be. As more efficient students, we’ll have more free time in the evenings to do whatever it is that we want to do. Though it seems counter-intuitive, if you just sneak in a little sleep you’ll be able to do more in a shorter time the next day, allowing you to get even more sleep. You can’t lose.
You may be thinking to yourself, “I’ve pulled a lot of all-nighters and it’s been working out fine. What’s the big deal?” I understand that concern. We’ve all suffered through many an all-nighter; we all procrastinate. But, wouldn’t it be better if we didn’t have to lose any nights of sleep?
The easy solution is to simply not procrastinate. Start working on things earlier, when you do have free time. Yet, how can you motivate ourselves to do that? Answer: sleep, and sleep a lot. The more you sleep, the more productive your time will be. You’ll soon find yourself with better grades and more free time to party.
We’ve reached the point at which many students are trying to make up for an entire semester of missed work.
Now is the time for a lot of stimulants, hours of studying, and little sleep. Rather than slamming those energy drinks and coffee, or cramming through the night, just try cracking into your workload a little early.
Most importantly, keep up your normal sleep patterns. Sufficient sleep and eagerness in completing our assignments early will keep us from getting sick, improve our grades and give us more time to party.
I understand that it’s easier said than done. But I’m gonna give it a go. Who’s with me?