Advice on Sleep from an Insomniac

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

We’ve all heard how sleep deprivation can cause short-term consequences like poor judgement, weakened immune system, and poor concentration and is also correlated with detrimental long-term effects like heart disease and neurological degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately in an age of instant gratification and ever more invasive technology, maintaining healthy sleep habits is becoming more difficult. Sleep difficulty has been cited as the leading factors affecting USC students’ academic performance (along with stress and anxiety which also cause further lack of sleep, leading to an awful positive feedback cycle). As a diagnosed insomniac, I’m definitely guilty of not getting as much sleep as my body needs. The following are some tips that have helped me obtain a more consistent, healthy sleep schedule.