Sleep: the (in)activity most coveted by Hewitt students. With nightly homework, essays, studying for tests, after school sports practices or play rehearsals, and other commitments, it’s hard to find a moment to ourselves. It’s no surprise that the amount of sleep we receive goes hand in hand with our overall health (mental, physical, emotional, etc.). But how much does sleep really influence these behaviors?
According to a study by neuroscientist and sleep researcher Dr. Orfeu Marcello Buxton, irregular sleeping patterns as well as lack of sleep can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity. This conclusion is based on a month-long experiment that showed insulin secretion decrease, blood glucose level increase, and a slower metabolism to be some of the results of sleep disruption. These are all biochemical changes that could lead to substantial weight gain and, in turn, diabetes.
Another focus of the study explored how certain environments can affect sleeping patterns. It concluded that excessively rigorous jobs in which administrators are stern and inflexible lead to a larger number of sleeping disturbances among workers. Not only can an irregular sleep pattern hinder your efficiency at work, but it can also have more serious repercussions, such as heart disease. These conclusions can be applied to life as a student as well, where many feel forced to stay up until the wee hours of the morning in order to finish assignments, projects, and studying.
Take a look at the video below for more on the correlation between sleep and health:
So what exactly is being done to protect ourselves from the dangerous side effects of lack of sleep? Well, the football team at Dr. Buxton’s alma mater happens to be making strides to ensure the team’s athletes get their beauty sleep. The Northwestern University football team has now integrated a mandatory sleeping schedule into their practice plan, which includes naps throughout the day. Their goal? To heighten their players’ performance levels.
Emma Adam, a Northwestern professor and an expert on sleep in adolescents and young adults, said that she had seen individuals log and study their own sleep patterns, but she has never seen an assessment done on this big a group of athletes. As Adam explains, “What they’re doing is taking existing sleep research and translating it into a program designed for their athletes that they hope will improve not only athletic performance, but also a whole bunch of other things. Sleep has effects on cognition, your attention, your memory, your mood, your metabolism, your appetite — it affects so many different things.”
Adam’s words definitely strike a chord with the way we feel when we go through the school day after a full night’s sleep. Hannah Ricotta ’15 adds insight on how the amount of sleep she gets affects her work at school: “I try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every school night, but it depends on the amount of work I have. When I don’t get enough sleep, I usually feel a little tired in school. However, this happens only when I have huge tests. When I do get enough sleep, I feel great in school and I am able to focus on my school work.”
The seniors have something to say about the compatibility of proper sleep and their duty to uphold the Hewitt mission of discovering their full intellectual and creative abilities, pursuing their passions and personal best, and leading lives of consequence with character, compassion, and conviction…all in the face of some serious Common App glitches.
Natalie Landsberg ’14 puts it quite simply by saying, “Sleep is something I do not get.” Sammie Weintraub ’14 shares, “My average bedtime is 4:00 AM. I sleep 3 hours a night and frequently find myself dozing off in the stacks. And not sleeping has brought about serious insomnia, so even when I don’t have work, I have a hard time sleeping. I would definitely focus better in class if I slept more but I have too much work to do, especially as a senior. The first thing I’ll do when I get into college is sleep.” Julia Wolinsky ’14 chimes in, adding “My alarm clock vibrates my bed; its website compares it to jackhammers. I confused it with the fire alarm. Once I literally stayed up all night doing AP Bio homework; I am frequently staying up until 4:00 AM and cannot function without my cup of coffee in the morning. Without it, I cannot move one foot in front of the other to walk to school. I miss my dear friend sleep.”
Others seem to have given up on sleep altogether at this stressful time. Francesca Caracci ’14 says, “Sleep is overrated and only necessary when I find myself hallucinating.” Tyra Abraham ‘14 adds, “Sleep is for the weak.”
Still having trouble catching your Z’s? Read here for some helpful tips!