As I sat at my desk, pounding my head on the nearest hard object and trying to figure out what to write in this notebook, the sun conveniently went through a cycle of setting and then rising. After looking out my window, I realized it was the start of another morning and I clamored to get my books together for one of those typical RPI days (you know, the ones where you actually attend classes). I quickly rushed out the door and wondered: whatever happened to that five-letter word that seems to escape almost every college student’s day-to-day activities? Since when did sleep ever get to be so overrated?
Whether it’s going to classes, studying, participating in club activities, socializing and partying with friends, or even using up the extra few hours to play WoW, all of them happen to be sucking up the precious 24 hours we have every single day. Amounts of caffeine are consumed so as to remain upright and conscious. If the caffeine doesn’t work, we take cold showers or consume a ludicrous amount of sugar to stay awake. All of this is done so as to move ahead, or as a type of prevention from falling behind in things. With that said, it seems as if the most important function, sleep—characterized by climbing onto a bed and closing one’s eyes—is ignored and almost never utilized.
The funny thing is that having an ample amount of sleep is actually needed for survival. It doesn’t do well to continue a regular schedule of three to four hours a day for a whole semester; it only leads to our deterioration—whether it concerns our health or brain functionality. Resting could actually help us think straight and—wonder of wonders—will be beneficial when the time comes to take an exam. Yes, believe it or not, reaching your REM cycle will actually help in the long run!
Imagine being able to get up in the morning fully refreshed and ready to tackle the annoying rustics of everyday life without having to give deadly glares to your colleagues in the morning. Imagine a scenario where you can actually read through boring text material without yawning multiple times in a row. Wouldn’t it also be wonderful if you could avoid the embarrassment when your professor catches you trying to nap in his or her class? The world would definitely be a better place.
The idea of sleep is a myth, something talked about in a wistful manner. Students converse with their friends about getting some sleep or taking naps at a certain point during the day, and yet, in the end they never really seem to achieve it. Who has ever actually heard of the standard seven to nine hours? I
