If you've read my last blog post, you will know that I am currently operating on a large sleep deficit. My tank is just about empty now and I can feel that I am ready to fall asleep at any time. I do not enjoy this feeling one bit! Yet I cannot find the time to catch up adequately on my sleep.
I am trying to plan a couple naps into my schedule this week. If that isn't enough I will be doing my best in order to go to bed earlier than usual (11pm) until I am able to wake up in the morning without pain. In order to perform through the rest of the semester and especially during finals week, I know I will need to be well rested. This will allow me to retain more knowledge when I am studying for exams.
All-in-all I feel pretty good about what I have accomplished this semester. Once final grades are in, I plan to be sleeping easy knowing my hard work has paid off.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
(24) Performing Under Pressure
Well, it is that time of the year again, December finals. School is winding down but the pressure is building up, and all I can think about is my month off that I'll get to spend with my family. Over Thanksgiving weekend I brought two important assignments home with me, fully intending on completing them. It seems like I do this every time I have a short break from school, the outcome is always the same. This time, however, I was bound and determined to finish my assignments over the long weekend because both were due on Monday and both would have a large impact on my grad in the class.
Like every time before, I barely looked at my assignments. I spent my time having fun with my family and getting maybe 6 hours of sleep a night. On Saturday I only got four hours of sleep before I hit the road at 8am. Now I did work on my projects, but did not complete near as much as I needed to. So then I was left with one choice. To devote 100% of my time to completing those projects upon returning to Plainview on Sunday afternoon. When I returned to Plainview on Sunday the stress and worry began to build. I was already exhausted from my lack of sleep all weekend, but I got to work right away. I began consuming considerable amounts of caffeine starting Saturday morning in order to stay awake during my drive home. I ingested anywhere from 70-140mg of caffeine at pretty regular intervals (every 4-6 hours). I continued this until I completed my both of my projects on Monday before class. In 24 hours from when I started my projects in Plainview to when I turned them in, I spent about 1 hour unpacking, 2 hours working, 2 hours eating, 6 hours sleeping (involuntarily), and 13 hours working on the projects, or at least trying to focus and work on them.
In the end my efforts prevailed and I was able to turn both projects in on time and with a quality that I was content with (meaning I think the work will receive an A). I have done my best to no procrastinate this year, completing one research paper and final project a month before it was due. For some reason these projects evaded me and it came down to the wire. I don't like subjecting myself to this unneeded stress and lack of sleep, but at least I know that I can perform well when I'm under pressure.
Like every time before, I barely looked at my assignments. I spent my time having fun with my family and getting maybe 6 hours of sleep a night. On Saturday I only got four hours of sleep before I hit the road at 8am. Now I did work on my projects, but did not complete near as much as I needed to. So then I was left with one choice. To devote 100% of my time to completing those projects upon returning to Plainview on Sunday afternoon. When I returned to Plainview on Sunday the stress and worry began to build. I was already exhausted from my lack of sleep all weekend, but I got to work right away. I began consuming considerable amounts of caffeine starting Saturday morning in order to stay awake during my drive home. I ingested anywhere from 70-140mg of caffeine at pretty regular intervals (every 4-6 hours). I continued this until I completed my both of my projects on Monday before class. In 24 hours from when I started my projects in Plainview to when I turned them in, I spent about 1 hour unpacking, 2 hours working, 2 hours eating, 6 hours sleeping (involuntarily), and 13 hours working on the projects, or at least trying to focus and work on them.
In the end my efforts prevailed and I was able to turn both projects in on time and with a quality that I was content with (meaning I think the work will receive an A). I have done my best to no procrastinate this year, completing one research paper and final project a month before it was due. For some reason these projects evaded me and it came down to the wire. I don't like subjecting myself to this unneeded stress and lack of sleep, but at least I know that I can perform well when I'm under pressure.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
(23) The Caffinated Enlightenment
In Caffeine
and the Coming of the Enlightenment, Roger Schmidt eloquently defends his
thesis that “caffeine, books, and mechanical clocks disrupted irrevocably the
ancient architecture of human sleep, and with its collapse, the angels and
their odd companions began to depart” (Schmidt 133). The major components of
Schmidt’s argument is the role that caffeine, books, and mechanical clocks
played in the transformation of sleep. The first major element that brought a
change to sleep was the introduction of caffeine into daily life. Schmidt says,
“Caffeine fuels insomnia as it simultaneously attempts to alleviate the
symptoms” (137). In the fight against sleep, caffeine was used at all hours of
the day in order to combat exhaustion and focus into the wee hours of the
night. The primary activity that then consumed the night was reading, for
business and pleasure. Reading, a task that was formerly too monotonous to keep
a scholar awake through the night was overcome through artificial stimulation
received through teas and coffees. A catalyst to this superfluous reading was
the new perception of “time as something that spends itself out, never to
return again” (Schmidt 138). Time became something measurable, available to all
through clocks and wristwatches, and people began to carefully plan the use of
their time. Schmidt also
describes being baffled by the lack of research on the history of sleep given
the amount of clinical research that has been dedicated to the subject. That is what drove him to find out the history of sleep and why it changed from what our ancestor's experienced.
Sources:
http://www.theeuropean-magazine.com/juliane-mendelsohn/7871-a-new-philosophy-for-the-21st-century
Schmidt, Roger. “Caffeine and the Coming of the Enlightenment.” Raritan 23.1 (2003): 129-49. EBSCO, 2003. Web.
Sources:
http://www.theeuropean-magazine.com/juliane-mendelsohn/7871-a-new-philosophy-for-the-21st-century
Schmidt, Roger. “Caffeine and the Coming of the Enlightenment.” Raritan 23.1 (2003): 129-49. EBSCO, 2003. Web.
(22) Will the Colder Weather Help Me Sleep?
Well, it looks as if winter is nearly upon us! The massive cold front has blown in from Colorado, and I even heard some people mention that we could see some snow, that would be cool!
Along with the dropping outdoor temperature, the temperature in my room is also dropping even more than before! The seals on the windows are old and cracking, I can hear the wind whistling when it blows hard; I also see little piles of dust on the floor by the window, making it obvious there is a leak.
Anyways, I don't mind the cool air. It means I get to bundle up more before bed, so that I can create a cocoon of warmth amidst the cold air. I feel like I sleep better when it is cold out, assuming that I have enough layers to keep myself warm.
Is anyone else looking forward to the colder weather?
Along with the dropping outdoor temperature, the temperature in my room is also dropping even more than before! The seals on the windows are old and cracking, I can hear the wind whistling when it blows hard; I also see little piles of dust on the floor by the window, making it obvious there is a leak.
Anyways, I don't mind the cool air. It means I get to bundle up more before bed, so that I can create a cocoon of warmth amidst the cold air. I feel like I sleep better when it is cold out, assuming that I have enough layers to keep myself warm.
Is anyone else looking forward to the colder weather?
Thursday, November 12, 2015
(Class Blog) How Has Sleep Changed?
Sleep has come a long way in 300 years! Author Roger Ekirch believes that in the past sleep was divided into two segments each night. There was an hour or so of wakefulness in-between the first and second sleep segment. Historical medical books "frequently advised sleepers, for better digestion and more tranquil repose, to lie on their right side," during their first sleep and then to switch to their left side during their second sleep segment. (Ekirch 366).
In religion, the Catholic Church promoted early morning prayers amongst its followers, so that they could speak with, "God during the still hours of the night" (Ekirch 366). This practice was seen as favorable so that there was nothing else going on to bother the praying man or woman. It would only be you and God together in the middle of the night.
Since the middle ages our human culture has changed because of technology. Artificial light and caffeine give people the ability to stay up longer than ever before. More people around the world are now "night owls" as opposed to being a "morning person." In the middle ages, daylight meant work time, but now a majority of the work is no longer manual labor and can be carried on into the night. While more people do stay awake at night, the darkness still represents the same thing it did centuries ago, mischief. It is a common saying, "nothing good happens after midnight." It is as true today as it was in the past. People who stay up into the AM seem to have an inclination to cause trouble no matter where they are.
Source:
Ekirch, A. Roger. “Sleep We Have Lost: Pre-industrial Slumber in the British Isles.” The
American Historical Review 106, no. 2 (2001): 363-386.
In religion, the Catholic Church promoted early morning prayers amongst its followers, so that they could speak with, "God during the still hours of the night" (Ekirch 366). This practice was seen as favorable so that there was nothing else going on to bother the praying man or woman. It would only be you and God together in the middle of the night.
Since the middle ages our human culture has changed because of technology. Artificial light and caffeine give people the ability to stay up longer than ever before. More people around the world are now "night owls" as opposed to being a "morning person." In the middle ages, daylight meant work time, but now a majority of the work is no longer manual labor and can be carried on into the night. While more people do stay awake at night, the darkness still represents the same thing it did centuries ago, mischief. It is a common saying, "nothing good happens after midnight." It is as true today as it was in the past. People who stay up into the AM seem to have an inclination to cause trouble no matter where they are.
Source:
Ekirch, A. Roger. “Sleep We Have Lost: Pre-industrial Slumber in the British Isles.” The
American Historical Review 106, no. 2 (2001): 363-386.
Friday, November 6, 2015
(21) Sleep has Always Been Important
In the article Sleep We Have Lost: Pre-Industrial Slumber in the British Isles, author Roger Ekirch makes his mission clear, "to explore the elusive realm of sleep in early modern British society," and to uncover the truth of pre-industrial sleep (pg. 344). Ekirch opens his article with the belief that when the bastille of modern society is escaped and forgotten, man is taken back to the natural. In the context of sleep, there "is one stirring hour," of wakefulness that naturally occurs at night, "when all the outdoor world are on their feet" (pg. 343).
What Ekirch is trying to prove is that before the industrial revolution sleep was thought of differently than it is today. While it was considered as equally important as today, historically many the people of the British Isles revered sleep. Partly because once the sun set there was little light afforded to the poorer of society. The common bedtime of the period was 10pm in the summer and 9pm in the winter, with the average sleep times ranging between six and eight hours. However, it is thought that these six to eight hours would have been better quality sleep than six to eight hours today. The "evening silence coupled with overpowering darkness contributed to unusually peaceful repose, as did the fatigue ordinary men and women suffered from their labors" (pg. 358).
Overall, Ekirch makes a strong argument that sleep could have been better before the industrial era. I wonder if he'll completely win me over in the second half of the article.
Source:
What Ekirch is trying to prove is that before the industrial revolution sleep was thought of differently than it is today. While it was considered as equally important as today, historically many the people of the British Isles revered sleep. Partly because once the sun set there was little light afforded to the poorer of society. The common bedtime of the period was 10pm in the summer and 9pm in the winter, with the average sleep times ranging between six and eight hours. However, it is thought that these six to eight hours would have been better quality sleep than six to eight hours today. The "evening silence coupled with overpowering darkness contributed to unusually peaceful repose, as did the fatigue ordinary men and women suffered from their labors" (pg. 358).
Overall, Ekirch makes a strong argument that sleep could have been better before the industrial era. I wonder if he'll completely win me over in the second half of the article.
Source:
Ekirch, A. R. (2001). Sleep We Have Lost:
Pre-Industrial Slumber in the British Isles. American Historical Review,
343-363.
(20) I Can Tell I'm Running on a Sleep Debt
Friday is a day that I look forward to all week. I have no classes, few obligations, and lots of free time. It is the first (sometimes the only) day of my weekend.
Every Friday is pretty much the same, waking up at the regular time in order to make it to work at 8am. Work ends in the mid-morning so I head back to campus. In my room I plan out my day. Most of the time I don't have to be anywhere until the late afternoon. Once I realize I am free to do as I please I hear it... from across the room it calls to me. My bed! Like a moth to a light I can't help but gravitate in its direction. I fight the though, but on Friday my bed always wins, but only for 15 minutes. And then another 30 minutes, just another 15 minutes and that's it. My plan for a quick power nap turns into a two hour slumber!
By the end of the week I just can't resist the urge to catch up on sleep. Rather than continue to fight my urges, I think in the future I should just plan on a two hour nap so that I can get a full cycle in and make up some of the time that I have lost throughout the week. So next week I am going to plan on using Friday as a recharge day so that I am sharp for work at Reagor-Dykes on Saturday!
Every Friday is pretty much the same, waking up at the regular time in order to make it to work at 8am. Work ends in the mid-morning so I head back to campus. In my room I plan out my day. Most of the time I don't have to be anywhere until the late afternoon. Once I realize I am free to do as I please I hear it... from across the room it calls to me. My bed! Like a moth to a light I can't help but gravitate in its direction. I fight the though, but on Friday my bed always wins, but only for 15 minutes. And then another 30 minutes, just another 15 minutes and that's it. My plan for a quick power nap turns into a two hour slumber!
By the end of the week I just can't resist the urge to catch up on sleep. Rather than continue to fight my urges, I think in the future I should just plan on a two hour nap so that I can get a full cycle in and make up some of the time that I have lost throughout the week. So next week I am going to plan on using Friday as a recharge day so that I am sharp for work at Reagor-Dykes on Saturday!
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