I am a college student, I have two majors and a minor, I am involved in numerous different clubs, and I consistently get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. I am aware that I am an anomaly. When I tell people about my regular 10:30 P.M. bedtime, I often get outwardly judged or asked "how that is possible?" It is almost as if my reasonable bedtime is something to be ashamed of, because I am somehow not busy enough or not involved enough, and I even find myself feeling as though I need to make excuses for my healthy sleep schedule.
College has created a culture where normal sleeping habits (and those regularly advised by many health experts) are a sign of weakness or laziness, and that you are not truly doing college right unless you have a bedtime of two or three in the morning. Coffee is regularly ingested during all hours of the night, and many college students are consistently running on five hours of sleep, if not less. Students continue to supplement their lack of sleep with more caffeine and poor nights of sleep, and it is a vicious and dangerous downward cycle. Many students blame their sleep deprivation on homework, more honest students blame Netflix, but whatever their reason may be doesn't change the fact that many college students are dangerously sleep deprived.
I am not one of those students. I am in bed between 10:30 P.M. and 11 P.M. every week night and get long, deep nights of sleep. I sleep so well, in fact, that many mornings I am rested and energized enough to go to the gym as early as 7 A.M. in the morning, followed by an hour of homework before my first class even begins. Although I often find myself feeling the pressure of the "college sleep schedule," I love my routine. I am proud of the fact that I have a responsible schedule that promotes health and productivity. It is this well-rested productivity that allows me to avoid late-night cramming sessions or last minute all-nighters to write an essay. Don't get me wrong, these nights are bound to happen every now and then, because college is hard and sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day, but that doesn't mean that this should ever become a habit. So to all the sleep-deprived college students, I hope that this comes as a form of encouragement: I am struggling through just like you are, but I still find the time to get sufficient sleep, and I fully believe that you can do it, too.
And once you truly experience the luxury of a great night of sleep, I promise you will be hooked for life.
