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Don’t neglect sleep

Navdeep Singh Ahuja, Class  IX A,  Ryan International School  

“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” This quote sounds like just a bunch of words said by an old guy a long time ago. However, after two years in our fine higher education system, those distant words can begin to seem all too accurate at describing one of the most universal parts of the college struggle. With that in mind, I have decided to jot down a little bit of info on this thing called sleep, and why not getting enough of it might just be killing you.

Sleep is important. I don’t think that there is a college or student on the planet that would argue that. But just how important is sleep? Well, if our body was one of my super cheap, super used textbooks, sleep would be the copious amount of duct tape around the binding; despite all the wear and tear, sleep is the thing that keeps holding everything together. So when we are not getting enough sleep, every part of our body works at a lower level.

Some of the most common signs and effects of sleep deprivation are yawning, felling sluggish, and micro-sleep.

Micro sleep is when you fall asleep for only a few minutes or seconds without realising it, even though this is one of the most well-known side effect of sleep deprivation, it is also one of the most dangerous.

It is important to make an effort to get adequate sleep regularly.

Now, here are some facts regarding sleep deprivation that we may not have known.

A medical school stated that getting less than five hours of sleep can increase the chance of death from all causes by about 15%.

Also, sleep deprivation not only interferes with your concentration and your ability to learn new things, it can also negatively impact short term as well as long term memory, both of which are important, especially if you are focused on learning.

When we fall asleep, our brain is preparing us for the tasks ahead in the next day, and this is why we are able to think and remember tasks during the entire course of the day while also learning new things. A sound and good night’s sleep ensures better learning abilities in human beings and also stimulates the mind to learn extracurricular skills, like playing a piano and learning music, much easier.

 A person’s ability to make decision, remember things, pay attention, as well as to think creatively are all dependent on the amount of sound sleep they are managing to get on a daily basis.

There are several behavioral issues also associated with lack of sleep, and this includes becoming a recluse both at home and at workplace.

Getting enough sleep is one of the necessities in life, and it helps in making an individual sharp and smart over the span of their lifetime.

Accept and let go!

Rahul Rishi, Class IX, Yadavindra Public School, Mohali

An average human being thinks about 60,000 thoughts a day; some positive, mostly negative and a few on a repeat mode. 24 hours and about 80 per cent negative thoughts makes a person poignant. Well who’s to be blamed for this dubious battle in the minds between good and evil? We do have our mundane lives to blame though.

These negative thoughts which nonchalantly creep into a human brain are the main reason for a person to be cynical and trick the vulnerable mind to assume that every other person whom he/she meets is there to get him and to make his life more miserable.

Thanks to the way our mind works the whole day dealing with all those deranged thoughts, we end up feeling bitter, unfaithful and less successful as a person.

But there is always an option. Look for a sign and you may find a better way to make your thoughts more powerful in a very positive way. You never know, those 15 per cent positive thoughts that your brain cooks up might be tastier and fulfilling than those pessimistic, gloomy beliefs that your mind keeps feeding your soul. Oh boy!! Aren’t we in a soup?

Change is the only constant that we know of and in order to bring about change in the best way possible we need to keep our mind healthy.

Detoxification implies following a regime that would help our mind get rid of all those toxic lies that we fill ourselves with just so that we can feel better.  Procrastination is human nature when it comes to changing our surroundings because let’s face it, no one likes change no matter how much we need it or how much it is good for us. We always end up postponing it for the next day and that tomorrow never comes.

So, looking on the brighter, positive side of life, we all need to create an ambience for our minds to admire the efforts our heart puts in and the efforts of the people around us who make our lives worth. We need to utilise the positive energy and live every day with joy and with a feeling of gratitude.

I would like to end this on a positive note by stressing that no matter how many or what kind of wild thoughts cross or try to make home in your mind  we need to realise their essential emptiness. Examine the nature of these negative thoughts that bring about hatred. Only then will you realise that they are no more than just thoughts. When you see them as they are, they will lose their power over you and make you free to achieve greatness.