get more sleep

Documentation of my 30-day challenge to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

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Day 30

Today is 12/7/16, and the end of my 30-day challenge!

Last night was more of the same half-successful day I’ve been achieving. I met my goal of sleeping 7 hours, from 10:00 to 5:30, but did not fulfill all the secondary parts of my plan to make sure it was quality sleep. The bed was cluttered and I had no calming routine, though the lights were off and the temperature range correct. 

Today, I am anticipating a great deal of homework what with midterms coming up so quickly, as well as other testing next week in AP US History. I also have book club and a clarinet lesson tonight. 

All in all, I really have been putting in more of an effort to get 7 hours of sleep each night, but I have not always been successful or gone about it the right way. For example, I still struggle with homework procrastination and a calming routine even though I know they are important to deal with for the sake of good sleep. Furthermore, setting strict hours at the beginning of my project, 10:30 to 6:00 with no flexibility, really limited the success I could achieve until I altered that schedule to make it more realistic. 

I think I have learned a lot from this project about issues I need to improve upon for my sleep and, by extension, my health. Given 30 more days, I may be able to settle myself into a fully successful plan now that I know which pitfalls to look out for on the way. 

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Day 29

Today is 12/6/16.

Last night I did have some problems with homework procrastination, and decided a good solution would be to split up the load, doing some this morning. So far it has worked. I can concentrate on homework better when it’s in smaller doses, and that helps me get to sleep on time. Perhaps I should consider doing this more often when I have a daunting amount of homework or trouble focusing. 

I went to bed last night around 10:30 and got up at 6:00, times within my goal range. I had the lights off and a good temperature range. I did, however, have a cluttered bed and no calming routine.

Tonight I have quartet practice and clarinet choir, but I should be home before 6 and have plenty of time to get my homework done before bed.

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Day 28

Today is 12/5/16.

Unfortunately, OBDC didn’t leave me much time for homework this weekend except for yesterday, so I had quite a lot to do including an important essay. In all honesty, this was one of those occasions where not meeting my goal is okay. While I should always aim to get 7 hours, I will inevitably fail sometimes, and it is better to fail on account of working hard. 

I did not fulfill my goal hours because I was working on my essay. I slept from 11:30 to 5:30, six hours. The lights were off, the bed uncluttered, and the temperature range correct. I did not have a calming routine because I needed all available time to work.

Today I am quite busy after school. I have clarinet quartet practice and then glass blowing. While I don’t have an extraordinary amount off homework, I will have to work fast to get to bed on time.

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Day 25-27

Today is 12/4/16. 

On the night of 12/1/16, I went to bed at 10 and got up at 5 on 12/2/16. I didn’t have a calming routine because I had to pack for Akron, but I had the lights off, a good temperature range, and an uncluttered bed. 

12/2/16 involved band rehearsals and band events from 8 in the morning to 9 at night. I returned to the hotel I was staying at with my friends by 10, but we stayed up until 12 to hang out. I had a calming routine, the lights were off, the bed was uncluttered, and the temperature range was correct. 

On 12/3/16, I got up at 7, fulfilling my sleep hours. After my band concert, my parents drove me back home and I went to sleep by 9:00 because of how exhausted I was from OBDC. The lights were off, bed uncluttered, and temperature range was correct. I did not have a calming routine because of how tired I was. This morning, I got up at 7 again.

For the most part, I have experienced relative success over the past few days, as a direct result of my schedule flexibility decision. 

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Day 24

Today is 12/1/16.

Happy 1st day of December (almost Christmas)!

Last night was a lot better for my goals. I went to sleep at 9:00 and got up around 5:30. I more than exceeded the time and schedule. The lights were off and I had a calming routine of reading, although the bed was a little cluttered with homework when I went to sleep. 

Previous to my schedule change, I would have seen this sleep-successful night as more of a failure, which is proof that the shift has been positive. During the upcoming weekend, I will be traveling to Akron for the OBDC (Ohio Band Directors’ Conference) honor band. They have a taxing rehearsal schedule that will probably make me very glad for this new flexibility. 

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Day 23

Today is 11/30/16.

Unfortunately, this has not been a good day for my goal. Last night, I went to bed around 11:00 and woke up today around 5:00. That’s only six hours. While it fits within my goal times, I fell asleep with the lights on, the bed cluttered, and no calming routine. Once again, I had a large amount of homework exacerbated by band rehearsals. 

Tonight, though, it looks as though I will be able to get 7 hours, because I have a great deal less homework. I also hope that the new time flexibility in my plan will make it easier to fulfill on a daily basis. 

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Day 20-22

Today is 11/29/16.

On Sunday night, my family and I arrived at our hotel for the night. I fell asleep with the lights on. The bed was uncluttered and the temperature was correct, but I had no calming routine. I fell asleep around 9:30 and woke up at 7:00 the next morning. I met my goal hours, though not with all the sub-goals fulfilled. 

On Monday night, I stayed up late finishing make-up work from the school days I missed while on vacation. I went to bed at 12 and got up at 5. I did utilize a calming routine, the temperature range was correct, the bed was uncluttered, and the lights were all. However, I missed the mark a bit on getting 7 full hours of sleep.

Tonight, I had various band rehearsals from 3-5:45. I also have a considerable amount of homework, though I have procrastinated somewhat less than usual. Overall, I think tonight will be very close as to whether I actually get 7 hours of sleep or not.

Reflecting on what I’ve learned, especially from this past week in Florida, I think I should officially alter one of the steps of my goal from maintaining rigid times to maintaining a rigid time zone. For example, instead of falling asleep every night at 10:30, my goal would be to go to bed anywhere from 9:00-11:30, waking up anywhere from 5:00-8:30 depending on when I went to bed.

This way, I would still have guidelines and would be responsible for making wise choices in order to get 7 hours of sleep, but I would be able to have a bit more flexibility when making plans and dealing with unusual homework situations. 

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Day 19

Today is 11/26/16. 

I got up this morning at 7:30, meaning that I did get over 7 hours of sleep. The schedule was not met (again), but I seriously think that one of the main conclusions I should draw from this project is that life sometimes will interfere with scheduling. All you can do is give it your best and recognize that obstacles will sometimes be non-negotiable. 

I am going to bed by 10:30-45 this time, which is on schedule. I will have a calming routine, though it must be shorter than usual because I had to pack my suitcase to make the trip to Tampa tomorrow. The temperature range is correct, the bed is clutter-free, and I’ll be turning the lights off soon if everything goes according to plan.

Today has, overall, been fairly successful for my health plan. Hopefully I can maintain that success as I return to a regular school schedule. 

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Day 13-18

Today is 11/25/16. 

On Monday, 11/21/16, I left school and took a plane to Pine Island in Florida. I’ve been here since, which has truly been a challenge for my sleep goals.

Each day, I have slept with the lights off, in the right temperature range, and with an uncluttered bed. I have also maintained a calming routine before bed, consisting of free reading and washing up. Unfortunately, though, I have not been able to stick to a strict sleep schedule. Given that this is a family reunion and many events have been planned out in advance, I have not really had control over my schedule.

On Monday, I went to bed around 11 after flying in to Tampa, driving to Pine Island, and briefly visiting with family. I then got up around 8 the next morning, which was more than 7 hours of sleep but did not fit my goal times.

Tuesday night, I again went to sleep around 11 because of family commitments and got up Wednesday morning at 7 to get ready for a boat trip to various nearby islands. Again, I fulfilled the correct hours of sleep but not the specific times as a result of an inflexible schedule. 

Thursday, Thanksgiving, was very similar. I got up around 8 and went to bed by 11 because of my family’s schedule. Today I got up at 7 to get ready for kayaking and am now about to go to bed at 11 once more. 

Overall, this vacation has revealed to me that while I should always hold myself to getting 7 hours of sleep, the schedule may not always be rigid. It should be in the right ballpark, but life is full of unpredictability and commitments that make it difficult to do the same things at the same time every day.

The most important goals for my plan are to stop procrastinating on homework, my main obstacle to proper sleep, and to get 7 hours of sleep during roughly the right time.

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Day 11-12

Today is 11/19/16.

Last night, I got over 7 hours of sleep, but I fell asleep at 9:30 and got up at 7:30, which are irregular times. I did not have a calming routine, although I did abstain from electronics and have the lights dimmed for the allotted forty-five minutes before sleeping. As far as the environment goes, the bed was uncluttered and the temperature range was correct. I did fall asleep with the lights on, however. Overall, it was a mediocre night for my goals, but it was better than some nights in the past week. 

Today, I am going to get started on my weekend homework so that I don’t have to stay up late tomorrow night preparing for school. Tomorrow evening is the holiday lights parade for the band, so I should try to get my work done before 4:00 tomorrow so that I don’t have to worry about it after the parade. Hopefully, that will allow me to achieve my goal times. 

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Day 9-10

Today is 11/17/16. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I did not fulfill my goal times. On both of those afternoons, I procrastinated getting started on my homework. On Tuesday, I accidentally fell asleep at about 9:30 with no calming routine, lights on, and a cluttered bed. I kept waking up during the night and eventually got out of bed around 5:30 Wednesday morning. That night proceeded very similarly. Again, I procrastinated on my homework. I fell asleep around 11:00 while I was still working on homework. No calming routine took place, the lights were on, and the bed was cluttered. I woke up this morning at 5:45. The only thing I got right on Tuesday and Wednesday was the temperature range being between 60 and 75 degrees. When I predicted earlier that homework procrastination would be my biggest problem, I was right. 

Fortunately, today is already shaping up to be a better day. I got started on my homework by 4:30, my goal time, and I have considerably less homework to do tonight because I had four tests today. 

In the upcoming week, I am going to be travelling to Florida for a family reunion on Thanksgiving. It will interesting to see if my progress improves while I’m on vacation. 

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Day 8

Today is 11/15/16. 

Last night was actually my first major success! At around 9:45, I dimmed the lights and engaged in a calming activity (reading). There was no contact with electronics after 9:45. I went to bed at about 10:20, which is close enough to my goal time of 10:30. The room temperature was correct and the bed was clutter-free. Unfortunately, I did fall asleep with a lamp on, however. Overall, I made a lot of progress towards meeting my goal.

I woke up this morning at about 6:20, which is close enough to my goal time. This afternoon, I have procrastinated a bit on my homework, so I don’t know for sure if I’ll be able to follow my schedule. I spent too much time on the Internet and talking to my family after I got back from clarinet practice after school. Hopefully, I’ll stay on track and maintain yesterday’s success. 

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Day 7

Today is 11/14/16.

Yesterday night was not as successful as I had hoped. My homework turned out to be more difficult than I anticipated, and I ended up staying up until about 1 o’clock. Again, the key to whether I succeed or fail in my sleep goal appears to be time management, especially regarding homework. There was no calming routine before bed. I slept with the lights off and a clutter-free bed at a good temperature. I woke up at 6:00 this morning, which is the goal time.

Today, I did meet my goal of starting my homework before 4:30. While there has been a little Internet procrastination interspersed throughout my assignments, I have been working a lot more productively overall today. At this rate, I will be able to finally fulfill my time schedule. 

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Day 4-6

Today is 11/13/16. 

Friday night was not a successful night. I attended the Mexico vs. United States soccer game at Crew Stadium with my family, which made it impossible for me to fulfill my goal sleep time of 10:30. I did not utilize a calming routine, a set schedule, or (for the most part, however the temperature range was correct) a good sleeping environment. The next morning, I woke up at 8:00.

Saturday night included similar failures. I fell asleep shortly after finishing a movie with my parents. It was before 10:30, but even getting more sleep isn’t necessarily a good step if I don’t maintain consistent times. I fell asleep at 9:30 with no calming routine and having used technology almost immediately before I slept. The environment was a little better this time. The lights were off, the bed was not cluttered, and the temperature was correct. But the key step in my sleep schedule is consistent times, something I have not yet achieved.

This morning, I woke up at 8:00 again. With nothing on the agenda today except homework, I will most likely be able to fit my time schedule. 

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Day 1-3

Today is 11/10/2016, and I started my 30-day challenge on 11/8/16. 

Essentially, my goal is to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night by the end of the project. I intend to do this by following three main guidelines. 

First of all, I want to set a schedule, ideally going to bed by 10:30 and waking up at 6:00 every day. To do this, I will need a secondary schedule for homework so that procrastination doesn’t interfere with my sleep. My current goal for starting my homework is 4:30, but this time is more flexible than my sleep schedule and may change based on trial. 

Secondly, I will need to get my mind ready for rest by stopping any stressful or high-concentration activities by 9:45. At this point, I’ll dim the lights and engage in a calming activity such as reading. There will be no use of electronics during this time. 

Lastly, I have to make sure that my room is a good environment for sleeping. There should be no lights on. The room temperature should be between 60 and 75 degrees. Of course, there should be no clutter on the bed. 

On 11/8/16, I stayed up to about 1:00 in the morning, a combination of a lot of homework and election night. I wanted to stay up late to watch the votes be counted. To be fair, I did procrastinate a bit on my homework, starting work at 5:30 instead of 4:30. I also didn’t stop high-alert activity by 9:45 or engage in a calming activity before bed. Although my room temperature was within the goal range, I fell asleep with the lights on and with clutter on my bed. Overall, it was an off day that I knew would most likely be that way because of the election. I did, however, wake up by the 6:00 time that is my goal. 

On 11/9/2016, I fell asleep around 9:00 because of my fatigue from the previous night’s lack of sleep. Though I got more sleep, it was still not according to my schedule, and my falling asleep was unintentional. Again, I procrastinated on my homework, not starting it until 6:00. This homework issue may be one of the biggest obstacles that I face during this sleep challenge. I did not engage in a calming activity before bed. The room temperature was in a good range and I slept with the lights off this time, but there was still clutter on the bed, mostly homework supplies. I did wake up at 6:00 this morning. There was some improvement, but I have a long way to go before I meet my goals. 

Today, 11/10/2016, I once again didn’t start my homework until around 6:00. However, the relatively small amount I have should allow me to follow my schedule and other requirements. I will update again tomorrow or the day after.