We all press snooze in the morning, but how often do you stop and think about the negative aspects of sleeping in? 

If you’re like me, the answer is probably never, because I love to sleep in! 

Being a college student requires bountiful efforts that can easily make one stay up later than anticipated. Although waking up early the next morning isn’t ideal, imagine what having an extra five or ten minutes to yourself would do. People that wake up before 8 a.m. reported increased productivity, better time management, motivation escalations, boosted energy and an inclination to pick up new hobbies. 

This ongoing, popular debate has opened many opportunities for scientists to conduct their research and insert an opinion. 

According to Dr. Doha Ayish, neurologist at Houston Methodist in an article published in 2020 on the Houston Methodist website, “Our brains are ‘hardwired’ to be more alert and at peak concentration in the morning.” Ayish emphasizes the importance of waking up early while maintaining a healthy sleep schedule. Minimum seven hours of sleep a night is a crucial facet to allowing our bodies to recuperate, lowering cortisol levels and stress rates in adolescents. Listening to your circadian rhythm, or ‘internal clock’ and going to sleep earlier allows for improved sleep quality and greater likelihood of productivity.

On the contrary, college students can easily stay awake later. The pressure society places on young people to succeed and the stress classes have on students make it hard to calm their minds and go to sleep early. Stress is also the leading cause of insomnia, which many college students, including myself, struggle with. Insomnia is one one of the most disruptive habits someone can fall into, really affecting their productivity. Decreased productivity can also contribute to anxiety, depression and other health issues. 

Oftentimes, students find themselves cramming for an exam, finishing a project or assignment or scrolling aimlessly. This allows their brains to remain active for longer periods of time, finding it easier to function on less sleep and increasing potential for a higher IQ. 

Procrastination is one of the easiest bad habits to fall into and has been proven to cause much lower efficiency because of sleep deprivation and a higher risk of depression. I struggle with procrastination and scrolling aimlessly every night. 

With this problem in mind and the popularity of New Year’s resolutions, I decided to take matters into my own hands. 

Finding the balance of a healthy sleep schedule and remaining productive is so important to me and why I decided I would make one for myself. I am waking up 5-10 minutes earlier every day until I wake up before 9am!