Welcome back to midterms! We’re half way through the semester, and we’ve got a big week before the long awaited Spring Break. Through our late nights of memorizing, studying and cramming to write papers [and articles…], what we end up forgetting is how important sleep is.

My parents used to get mad at me if I didn’t hit the hay before 11 because they didn’t understand how much work students receive these days.  However, they were right in trying to force me to get more than 7 hours of sleep; especially the nights before exams.

According to a Harvard Health Publications blog, “People who are persistently sleep deprived are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and narrowed blood vessels. Each of these can decrease blood flow inside the brain. Brain cells need a lot of oxygen and sugar, so blood flow problems could affect their ability to work properly,” which includes memory.

This week (excluding tonight because I have yet to start an assignment I should have started a while ago), I challenge myself and others to get more than 7 hours of sleep each night.  This means finishing assignments and studying more throughout the day, and performing procrastination activities last, before bed.  For me, this means posting up in the library or the puball day and not returning to my room until I go to the gym or bed.  Good Luck!