The Power of a Good Night’s Sleep

Summary

An educator reflects on the importance of sleep after a stressful week of end-of-semester activities, acknowledging the challenge of prioritizing rest amidst the distractions of work and entertainment.

Abstract

The author recounts a particularly demanding week filled with final exams, project submissions, and the last-minute rush of students trying to catch up. The stress and lack of sleep culminate in a headache and potential illness, prompting the teacher to prioritize sleep over the weekend. After resisting the temptation to engage with work and digital distractions, the author experiences the rejuvenating power of a full night's sleep, leading to a renewed commitment to making sleep a priority, despite the challenges of a busy schedule and the lure of online activities. The article concludes with a recommendation for an AI service that offers similar capabilities to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4) at a more affordable price.

Opinions

The author emphasizes the importance of sleep for health and well-being, especially in high-stress periods.
There is a recognition of the constant demands of teaching, including the need to assist students and manage administrative tasks.
The distractions of social media, online entertainment, and the compulsion to check work messages are seen as obstacles to getting enough sleep.
The author expresses a personal resolve to prioritize sleep, while also acknowledging the difficulty in maintaining this commitment during busy times.
A positive opinion is expressed towards an AI service, ZAI.chat, suggesting it as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4).

Feeling renewed

Last week was stressful — final exams and projects and getting after the procrastinators to submit their assignments. Of course, added to that was a constant stream of students asking about work that was due weeks ago.

There is nothing like the end of the semester to suddenly jolt students awake, noticing that they are failing a few classes or at least are not doing well. Parents also finally log on to the grade book — even though they have access the whole semester.

By Thursday I was severely sleep deprived and had a headache. I had given up my prep periods and even a lunch to help students with their assignments. After a zoom meeting Friday afternoon about our test scores and how much they had declined, I came home exhausted.

I also had a sore throat and a stuffy nose. Several teachers had just caught Covid despite being vaccinated. Was I next? I was too tired to worry.

At least my work was all done, and I could take the weekend off. I was determined to catch up on my sleep. Therefore, I resisted the temptation to check my email or even log on to my computer.

I knew that if I did that, I would go to YouTube where a documentary would peek my interest and suck me in. I would log on to my email and check my Canvas messages, and the day would never end.

By 8 p.m. I was in bed, trying to get the reels in my head to stop. I must have fallen asleep because I woke up at 6:30 a.m. The heat had kicked on even though I have it set to 55 Fahrenheit. Another cold day, but it is supposed to be warmer than the high of 9 degrees we had yesterday.

I noticed right away that I felt a lot better. My whole body felt relaxed, and my headache was gone.

The power of sleep.

So often we put it last on our list. There is always more work to be done. The lure of social media, online entertainment, and watching one more documentary to unwind from a stressful day is ever present. It is time to give sleep the priority it deserves to have.

I resolve to remember that, but I know that three more days of finals next week may make me forget. I am so good at scheduling everything else that is important in my life. Why is it always so difficult to schedule enough time for sleep?