“It’s alright — you’re young.”
After a long night studying, catching up on Netflix, or just fooling around until the wee hours of the morning, you might wake up a bit groggy. You might even complain about it to a passing coworker, customer, or loved one. Inevitably, you’ll get the above response.
It might be true to a certain point; all nighters are common place among many teenagers and twenty-somethings, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not harmful. In fact, it gives us the illusion that we can continue messing with our sleep pattern with no ill consequences, when that’s just not true.
So, in honor of World Sleep Day, I’m here to tell you: Go. To. Sleep.
Still awake? Well, keep reading to find out why you shouldn’t be.
“It can’t be that bad, right?”
We’re all still functioning, right? Everyone is still going to work, performing adequately, and living life? So what’s all the fuss about?
Well, sleep deprivation doesn’t just lead to bad physical effects. It leads to mental health problems in the long run. If you were willing to risk a lowered immune system or high blood pressure, are you really ready to risk Alzheimer’s to finish your Netflix binge? Even if you are, consider that you’re not just risking yourself if you’re planning on driving the next day; up to 6,000 fatal crashes can be attributed to sleep deprivation every year.
So, yeah, it’s that bad.
“I can’t go to sleep now! I have too much to do!”
Plenty of us aren’t trying to kill other people on the road with drowsy driving (most of us, hopefully).
Despite what the media might say, a lot of of us are driven. We have a long list of goals, and there’s only so many hours in the day to get it done. You need to prioritize and take advantage of whatever productivity-improving app you prefer. Some come preinstalled on your phone, so you have no excuse. Everyone benefits from to-do lists and reminders.
The best tip, though, is to be honest with yourself. Do you really need to get this done tonight or can it wait until tomorrow? It’s not always your fault (pfft, thanks, Daylight Savings Time), sometimes things come up, or you have an actual sleep disorder, but try your best. That’s all we’re asking.
“But I don’t wanna go to bed!”
Some of us don’t “turn on” until the sun goes down. I get it. Now it’s 11 pm, and you’ve got a wave of energy. Plus, if you went to bed now, think about all the life events you’re going to miss out on!
That’s true … to an extent. At a certain point, being out past one doesn’t lead to anything good. You just end up hungover at work the next day, hating life, wondering if anyone can remember that embarrassing thing you said (just me?). You gotta do this a couple times, you’re right. But, I promise, you’ll get to the point where you genuinely want to be in bed at that time. At least, that’s what they say.
In any case, you’ll probably live longer, look better, and be happier in the long run. That all sounds better than going to the sixth bar that night, doesn’t it?
Okay, I tried to make this article as sleep-inducing as possible, but if you’re still awake, don’t panic. I’m sure your boss has some spreadsheets you can look over.
Featured Image via Unsplash
