Written by Luke Gibson
It’s been reported former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was able to get by on just four hours sleep a night while she was in power. Leonardo da Vinci undertook a polyphasic sleep schedule, where he slept for just 20 minutes every four hours, resulting in a total of just two hours sleep each day. Yet we are told a healthy nights’ sleep is around seven to eight hours.
35 years ago, when I was 18 years old, I’d get away with three to hour hours sleep each night for three to four months before I’d fall in a heap and sleep an entire weekend. Mum, who was a Registered Nurse couldn’t understand how I could still function and would regularly remind me “Luke, you can’t bank sleep!”
When my already full life has a University degree added to it, I had to look at what needed sacrificing in order to get the work done. For me, losing sleep couldn’t be part of the equation. My first implementation was to minimise phone screen time. No more social media scrolling, no more reading of “interesting” news articles. I also changed a long-standing habit and moved my phone from the bedroom to the kitchen each night. That alone was a game changer.
In commencing two subjects as part of a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) course in the first semester of this year and being a first time University student, I was, quite simply, overwhelmed very quickly. In trying to fit in this new routine, so many things suffered. It wasn’t sustainable. So I had to look at my study commitment and dropped a subject. This definitely helped, but there was still a time deficit.
A regular day consists of work, taking care of a son with special needs, getting up at stupid o’clock to exercise, ensuring I maintain my many and varied friendships, keeping on top of my chronic autoimmune disease, and endeavouring to continue pursuing personal creative projects. Somehow I was able to keep up with the University workload, and was really happy with the four assessments I submitted and the grades I obtained. I also made sure to set myself up properly in my office in a dedicated study space.
Ultimately, life is just about time management, juggling as many balls in the air as you can, while dropping as few as possible. This is ever changing and is also an individual juggling act. This semester, being slightly more comfortable with university requirements and trying to embrace a mantra to “stress less” I have signed up for two subjects including an elective, and am finding the balance a lot better already.
This juggling act is an inexact science. Simplified, it’s about taking a little from column A and a lot from column B to free up more time in column C. And making sure your cup doesn’t overflow. But unfortunately, my days of banking sleep are way past me!!
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
