Countless students struggle to get sufficient amounts of sleep—and even when they get the recommended amount, it never seems like enough. From assignments to studying, I, like many others, find difficulty in achieving ample levels of rest.

From the very beginning of high school, my parents had told me that they weren’t going to keep me on a certain schedule anymore.

Initially, I was overjoyed.

In my eyes, it meant that I didn’t have to worry about their constant, insistent nagging to “go to bed” whenever 10 PM hit.

Now I realize: maybe this wasn’t for the best.

I’ve found that, especially around second semester, I am accompanied by an unrelenting sense of fatigue. If anything, this feeling has become like second nature to me, despite the fact that—on average—I get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night.

If anything, the idea that “staying up late” or sleeping at 3 a.m. the next morning has integrated itself into my life—and that of my friends—as something completely normal. 

Strangely, if one of my classmates had told me that they had gotten little more than five hours of sleep, I wouldn’t bat an eye. In fact, I would brush it off as just “another average day.”

Rationally speaking, this shouldn’t be the case.

Countless informative articles have discussed the advantages of having enough sleep, from increasing focus, aiding in bodily functions, and helping with mental health, amongst other benefits of that nature. 

Not Enough Hours in the Day

I do understand the struggle that comes with this. Knowing and understanding the information is far different from actually applying it.

Countless assignments, tests, and readings take up the majority of my day to day, and it can be incredibly difficult to even think of going to bed at a certain time. Truthfully, it can be hard to manage my time wisely, and I’ve found that to be one of the most difficult things for me.

As a sophomore, I’m currently taking two college classes, an AP Precalculus class, and Journalism, which are by far the subjects that take up a majority of my time. Whether it’s through studying or writing articles for The Chronicle, it can be hard to reach certain deadlines—especially without sacrifice.

Unfortunately, it’s often my sleep habits that suffer.

Particularly during the week of a test, I spent my nights poring over textbooks and practice problems, just to get as much of a grasp on the topic as I could. However, as much as I’d like to say I’m a model student who gauges their time, I’m not quite there yet, and the weeks that I spend productively are far and few in between.

If anything, on the night before, I end up cramming until 12 a.m. to the point where I can no longer think or study properly.

Stick to a Schedule

Despite all that I’ve said, my schedule is not as cutthroat as it may seem. 

In fact, I spend the majority of my time scrolling through my phone, filled with a false sense of complacency and comfort that comes with the “flexibility” of my sleep schedule. 

As a result, I believe that without the same structure that I had back in elementary school, I’ve become more lax when it comes to my productivity. 

Without that push, this mindset prevents me from feeling rested, perpetuating that feeling of sluggishness—ultimately demotivating me from working—therefore causing me to mindlessly scroll, wasting my time, and continuing the cycle once more.

Simply put, getting enough sleep is important to me, and it should be to you, too.

Whether you start small by going to bed a little earlier each day or immediately switching to an 11 p.m. bedtime routine, the fact of the matter is that getting rest is indispensable.

So the next time you find yourself looking to improve, just ask: Am I getting enough sleep?