Daily Nexog

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By Michael Takahara

I freaked out at age six when I learned about heaven.

“Heaven is a place where the streets are made of gold,” my Sunday School teacher told me. “You sing praises to God all the time because it’s always day and you never have to sleep.”

Streets of gold were fine. I loved singing, God, and daytime. But NEVER having to sleep? What the HELL was that?

It bothered me so much I started losing sleep.

I was a smart six year-old. Sleep is important. Sleep helps our memory, helps protect us from getting sick, and helps us grow and develop. Lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation, has been linked to high blood pressure and obesity.

Eight hours of sleep a day is recommended.

Unfortunately, some college students have a hard time finding eight hours for sleep. Studying or writing those fifteen-page research papers can get in the way. Socializing, talking with friends, playing games, facebooking, dancing, (insert your favorite social activity) can limit your sleep. You may have a job that starts early in the morning or ends early in the morning. You may have an 8:00 a.m. class. Add excessive partying, drugs, video games, gambling or surfing the web, and you have a recipe for a lack of sleep slamwich: your body, mind and health are going to pay the price.

But don’t lose hope. Even if you are not getting eight hours of sleep, you can take steps to gradually increase your sleep. Here are a few tips:

1) Exercise every day. A walk on the beach, a pick up b-ball game or however you can get your body moving. Exercise helps prepare your body for sleep.

2) Set the mood for sleep. Take a warm shower or listen to relaxing music before you slide into bed.

3) Limit your caffeine. Monsters, Red Bulls and Venti Caramel Frappuccinos are energy loans which have to be paid back, sometimes with interest. Try to drink your caffeine before five p.m.

More tips can be found at The National Sleep foundation and at the HelpGuide.org.

Student Health has a sleep counselor: Debbie McHann, the same meditation leader mentioned here will help you figure out specific, individual sleep strategies.

So how did my fear of heaven end? My parents saw I wasn’t a happy six-year-old. When they discovered I was afraid of heaven, they had our pastor visit our home.

“Why are you scared of heaven?” he asked

I didn’t have the words. Instead I asked, “Why can’t we sleep in heaven?”

He smiled. “Well, if you want to sleep in heaven, I think God would be okay with that.”

My six-year-old brain was okay with that answer. I slept well that night.