"Sleeping for success", wish we all have a good sleep everyday!

    The importance of sleep to people is self-evident. But now, we have many important things, such as making progress in research, succeeding in our careers, and even maintaining friendships. Getting enough sleep has become a luxury, even though we know the importance of sleep.

    

    In general, we all know that without sleep, we will be confused, lack experience, and cannot complete work efficiently. So, I would like to introduce some other interesting facts about sleep in this workshop.

    First of all, lack of sleep may cause obesity! Okay, this statement is indeed a bit alarmist. But sleep does play a vital role in regulating metabolism and hunger signals. When we don't get enough sleep, the balance of hormones that control hunger and satiety is disrupted. This often leads to overeating or craving unhealthy, high-calorie foods.

   Over time, lack of sleep can lead to weight gain and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Have you ever been unable to sleep in the middle of the night, felt very hungry, and wanted to grab something from the refrigerator? If there is a broccoli and a bucket of ice cream in the refrigerator, which one would you choose? We should not have the patience to wash and cut the broccoli and cook it but choose food that can be eaten quickly. Generally, this kind of fast food is highly processed food. Eating this high-calorie food will make us fat quickly. So in order to maintain your weight, try not to stay up late and go to bed earlier.

    Good sleep is also called "beauty sleep," which can keep our skin in good condition and make us look refreshed. In addition, lack of sleep will reduce our immunity and make us more susceptible to illness. Especially for girls, lack of sleep will also affect menstruation.

    Lack of sleep will put more pressure on our economy. Because of lack of sleep, we may be more susceptible to illness and injury, and it is more difficult for the body to recover, so we have to spend more money on maintaining health. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse? We give up sleep for success, for more income, and for promotion, and the consequences of lack of sleep require more money to maintain. In fact, it is better to get a good night's sleep from the beginning. It is not only free but also allows us to perform better in life and work.

    In addition, sleep helps our bodies recover. It’s not just after a hard day’s work that getting a good night’s sleep can help us recover faster. In addition, lack of sleep can make us less coordinated and less focused, which can make us more susceptible to injury. In addition, when we sleep, our bodies go into repair mode. Cells regenerate, tissues heal, and we recover quickly from exercise and daily activities.

    The benefits of sleep also relate to heart health. I’m sure many of us have experienced our hearts pounding after staying up late. Good sleep helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels. When we sleep, our blood pressure naturally drops, allowing the heart and blood vessels to rest and recover. However, chronic lack of sleep can lead to persistent high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Therefore, prioritizing sleep is an important part of cardiovascular health. By maintaining a regular sleep schedule and making sure we get enough rest every night, we help protect our hearts and reduce the risk of long-term health complications.

    There is also a direct link between sleep and academic performance, which is important to me as a PhD student. Studies have shown that students who get enough sleep tend to have higher GPAs. While this may seem like common sense—after all, it’s easier to focus and retain information when you’re well rested—many students still sacrifice sleep for late-night studying or socializing (including me), thinking it will help them make progress when it actually does the opposite. A good night’s sleep can improve memory by 20-40%. When we sleep, our brains consolidate newly learned information and integrate it into long-term memory. Long-term memory is more important than short-term memory. Lack of sleep hinders this process, leading to poor memory and lower academic performance.

    Another surprising benefit of good sleep is the impact it has on social skills, especially nonverbal communication. When we are well rested, our ability to read and interpret body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice improves, as 70% of our communication comes from nonverbal messages. When our brains are working at full capacity, social interactions, both personal and professional, are easier to navigate. Inadequate sleep can make it harder to pick up on subtle social cues, leading to misunderstandings and strained relationships. This can be detrimental to our success in high-stakes environments like work or school. Sleep helps improve this skill, leading to better collaboration and communication.

    Getting enough sleep boosts our immune system, making it easier for our body to fight off infection and disease. Sleep is a critical period for the production of immune cells that fight viruses and bacteria. This means that people who consistently get good sleep are more resistant to common illnesses like colds and flu.

    I would also like to mention that lack of sleep impairs mental function. Lack of sleep makes it harder to focus, and our reaction times slow. Over time, this cognitive decline can lead to mistakes and poor decision-making. A good night's sleep is essential to maintaining optimal mental performance.

    The importance of sleep is greater than I give it credit for. As a long sleeper, I need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a day. I have to say that I sleep more peacefully; I'm just kidding😁.

    This workshop also provided some very interesting suggestions to help us get better sleep.

    For example, 2 AM is the time when we are least efficient at work. Therefore, it is better not to stay up late to catch up on homework, which is very tiring and inefficient. Of course, he also mentioned that everyone has different energy peaks; some people are more efficient during the day, and some people are more efficient at night.

    I also watched a YouTube blogger video about how to manage time and energy efficiently. If you are interested, you can take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMBpS8Tp0Sg

    In addition, he also mentioned that we can also create a sleeping atmosphere for ourselves, such as lavender scent (why does everyone recommend lavender? I hate the smell of lavender).

    Another interesting suggestion is to take a nap after drinking coffee, which will make our minds clear. Because caffeine takes about half an hour to take effect, the nap time is just enough to wait for it to take effect.

    By the way, this Wellness Suite Serivices website has a lot of information about health, such as massage, nutrition, diet, fitness, etc. For example, you can pay $13 and learn how to make a delicious and healthy meal with simple ingredients, and then you can replicate it at home. You can participate in some sports, whether you sign up for a class or buy a semester pass; it looks interesting!

Here is the link: https://www.purdue.edu/recwell/fitness-wellness/wellness/index.php