Make Sleep a Priority

We have started to enter the back-to-school season. Whether you are already back in school, you start in the next week, or you still have some time, I have one important piece of advice for this and every subsequent school year (as well as breaks). Start to make sleep a priority. When you are low on sleep, your body will not function as well as it could be. If you are in high school or college, you need more sleep than average for humans. I know that the start of school brings many changes. You go from having almost nothing to do to having a jam packed schedule of classes, activities, possibly a job, and then you have to find time to do your homework and socialize with people. How do you make it work? I can’t say for sure, because I am still figuring out how to balance everything. It takes a lot of planning, but you have to be willing to take care of your self. I think that sleep should be a priority for everyone. Maybe that means not continuing with certain activities or cutting back your work hours. As a teenager or young adult, we need sleep, more than adults. According to the National Sleep Foundation, high schoolers need 8-10 hours of sleep per night and college aged young adults need 7-9 hours per night. Although, keep in mind that we are all different, and your sleep needs might not match that of a friend or family member. In a world where it is normal to be constantly busy, we need to take time for ourselves and take care of our bodies and brains. Sleep effects a lot of stuff.