It is the first week of classes and the stress is high. Most college students get around six hours of sleep a night, when our body really needs 6-10 hours, according to the University of Georgia’s University Health Center. Sleep is essential to a healthy life and students everywhere are struggling.

The night before the first day of classes can be stressful. My goal was to get plenty of sleep so that I could start off my day right. Getting to sleep and staying sleep are hard enough tasks, but adding the complication of a bad fire alarm makes it worse.

I had just fallen asleep when the fire alarm started blaring. I woke up and looked out into the hallway to see if anyone else in my sorority house was leaving the building. I went to my roommate and we walked outside together and found the rest of our group.

After we were cleared to go back into the building, we all settled down and began to fall back asleep. Just as I got comfortable, the alarm went off for the second time.

This happened not once, but two more times after that, each time aggravating everyone even more. Finally, the officers found out that the alarm was bad so they sent someone to fix it right away.

After the fourth one, I was skeptical if the alarm would go off again, so it was hard for me to get to sleep. After a long night of tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable again, it was time to get up and get ready for class.

I would not go as far to say that I was sleep deprived in the end, but it disrupted my bedtime routine, which the University of Georgia mentions routines will “help the body and mind settle down.”

Aside from emergency situations, students need to be more responsible with their sleeping patterns. Many students might argue that they have a lot going on, but they determine what they are involved in.

Maybe one all-nighter at the library will not make a difference to you, but I guarantee if you maintain a healthy sleep habit, your body will thank you.

Karena Ozier is a sophomore elementary education major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at kmozier@eiu.edu.