I am not a “techie”. That is
what people majoring in math or science fields are called here at
Stanford, my new home away from my actual home in Phoenix. I admit,
while I excelled in math and science courses in high school, I never
enjoyed their content as much as my other classes. Needless to say,
when it came time to fulfill a natural science requirement, I was less
than thrilled. I opted for the popular “Sleep and Dreams” course, which
I heard was less “technical” than most other natural science courses
and very entertaining. You even get bonus points for falling asleep in
class! Besides, I realized I barely knew anything about the subject,
and as it turns out, I was not alone. In today’s fast paced society it
is easy not to consider sleep a priority. Health and biology classes
rarely cover sleep. School, sports, homework, and social activities
often cut sleep short. I believe the information I am learning in this
class is so important, I have a responsibility to share some of it with
you.
One of the first things we
learned in class is that a “triumvate of health” including nutrition,
physical fitness, and sleep is essential to leading a healthy life.
Students, including myself, are often unaware of the third aspect.
According to my professor, sleep researcher William Dement, in his book
The Stanford Sleep Book, this component is so important because
“not only does sleep consume a third of human existence, but unhealthy
sleep can also severely impair the other two-thirds”. Students
typically carry a large sleep debt as a result of not getting enough
sleep, which presents threats to our daily lives. I was shocked to
learn that all the sleep we lose staying up late, cramming for tests,
talking with friends, or watching Gossip Girl must be made up to
completely cancel our sleep debt and attain optimal alertness. Optimal
alertness means fulfilling your sleep need. For most high school and
college students, this will be between nine and ten hours, and results
of obtaining an optimal amount of sleep include improved energy and
motivation and fewer errors. Furthermore, major danger exists in
carrying large sleep debts. According to Dr. Dement, impaired
alertness, “in addition to being a serious threat to well-being and
safety is also a key symptom of pathology-particularly sleep
disorders.”
Napping is a perfect way to
reduce your sleep debt, and the benefits are legitimate. Napping is not
just for the three-year-old you babysit. A one hour nap has the
potential to improve alertness for ten hours! Try napping during the
early afternoon, when you feel less alert. Don’t delay; sleep as soon
as you feel tired –before your physiological sleep tendency reverses.
You’ll feel less drowsy, have better reaction times, and feel more
awake afterward.
I mentioned the class was
entertaining, and this year proves to be no different. We once had a
student, re-enacting another student’s dream, run into class covered in
peanut butter! As ridiculous as this incident was, I now find that the
fact that the general population is so unaware about the importance of
sleep even more ridiculous. For instance, many people think a big lunch
or a boring class can make them feel tired. In reality, the only reason
anyone feels tired during the day is because they did not get enough
sleep. I was surprised to hear that sleep loss is cumulative, so one
14-hour night of sleep on a Saturday probably is not enough to make up
for all the sleep you have been missing out on. Another common
misconception: It is impossible to get too much sleep! Embrace your
need to sleep and know this information, continually re-emphasized by
Dr. Dement in lecture: “The onset of drowsiness is the moment you
notice that you’re making a conscious effort to keep your eyes open.”
Finally, I advise remembering the following-our class motto, well known
throughout the Stanford campus: Drowsiness is red alert! Share it with
friends and family. It could actually save lives.
