Learning Challenge: The Importance of Sleep

The sleep-related article I read was Yes, Your Sleep Schedule Is Making You Sick. For me, this article confirmed the importance of sleep. I personally have to get 9 hours of sleep to feel perfectly healthy, and when I don't get that I feel like trash and my mood is all over the place. The article mentions that a study was done on a group of depressed patients, and a "night of complete sleep deprivation produced an immediate, significant improvement in mood in about 60 percent of the group." It really is incredible what a lack of sleep can make you feel, and for my friends who think sleep deprivation doesn't affect them, I always wonder how long it has been since they've gotten enough sleep to actually realize they don't feel normal.

One new thing I learned that I did not know before is that there is a treatment called chronotherapy to alter the circadian rhythm: "This involves exposure to bright lights at progressively earlier times in the morning, which should make it easier to fall asleep earlier." For those who just give up on sleep because they have tried over and over, this might be a good therapy to try.

One thing I am now curious to explore is avoiding my smartphone and laptop in the evening. Although this is my peak studying time when I seem to have the most energy to accomplish tasks, this article made me realize it might really be ruining sleep for me. I might try this for a week or so over a school break to see if I notice any positive effects.

Circadian Rhythm image from Icinori (from the article)