Attending the Table Talk about sleep and exchanging stories about sleep habits, tricks on how to wind down before bed, experiences of the effects of sleep deprivation, and reactions to reports detailing how much sleep college students should be getting and what happens when they do not get it was a refreshing, informative experience to have as we are all entering into that part of the semester where things seem to get busy and then never slow down. Something that I found interesting was that while everyone had different sleep cycles and sleep habits, there was a general consensus among just about everyone in the group that the goal was to get at least 6 hours, though that goal is not always reached, and that realistically getting the recommended 9 hours and 15 minutes for college students—or even regularly getting 7 to 8 hours—seemed nearly impossible. This sort of general consensus among a group of students who have diverse habits and tactics for getting in those 6 hours really underscores how difficult it can be to balance self-care and the workload of a Cornell student. Also, a good number of students discussed how when workloads are so overwhelming and nearly impossible to physically accomplish, there is always the feeling that we could, and should, be doing something more; in this sense, there is the pressure to choose between getting enough sleep and fulfilling, or at least attempting to fulfill, academic duties. I know that hard work is undoubtedly a good thing, but discussions like this one really raise the larger question of whether the workload that many students are taking on crosses the line from helpful to harmful, especially considering the data from Dr. Maas’ studies about the hazards of not getting enough sleep.

What certainly did seem to lighten the burden of this workload, however, was hearing how other students experiences the same concerns that I do—worrying about sacrificing school work for sleep and feeling like I am never getting enough done. It is definitely encouraging to know that it is difficult for everyone to manage the workload because at times it can definitely seem like you are doing something that is making it so difficult to manage everything. Also, I will definitely be trying some of the tips that students shared for getting in the right mindset for sleep—like making a to do list for tomorrow to mentally signal to yourself that today’s work is done, and you have a plan in place to accomplish what you need tomorrow.