By Loydie Burmah |Staff Writer|

A majority of my summer vacation will be devoted to sleeping – and I don’t want to be disturbed.
Relaxation and rest are just a few of many perks associated with summer vacation.
“I like to sleep in the summer as much as I can. Then I feel guilty afterwards because most of the day is wasted,” said student Alejandro Vasquez-Anaya.
“A 2004 study found a significantly higher rate of mortality among persons who slept eight hours or more a night compared with those who slept the optimal seven hours,” stated science reporter Jennifer Fisher Wilson in “Is Sleep the New Vital Sign?”
Working a part-time job that schedules me awkward late night shifts and attending school full time, weekends have become my haven for catching up on rest I’ve lost during the week.
Despite my attempts at resting on the weekends, I find myself staying up later hours than expected and receiving inadequate sleep that leaves me feeling groggy and disoriented.
Add a severe lack of organization, a disruptive sleep pattern, and a sibling who snores obnoxiously, and it becomes a disastrous equation of restlessness that is hard to avoid.
“Sleep deprivation does more than make people prone to accidents; it also affects their quality of life; some of the first signs of sleep deficit are irritability and decreased creativity and enthusiasm,” stated Fisher.
It’s hard to believe that I manage to have any energy left to expend on tasks I enjoy, or simply to take a moment for myself.
Summer vacation is my chance to relax. “Fatigue systematically erodes performance and can have serious safety consequences, according to David F. Dinges, PhD, professor of psychology in psychiatry,” wrote Wilson.
Resting and relaxing are ideas I’m willing to support as soon as summer vacation arrives, but I also realize that too much may cause issues that will affect my well-being.
Staying physically active will allow me chances to replenish energy I feel I may not have had to begin with.
Aside from laying around lethargically staring sleepily at a television screen, I plan on enjoying activities such as walking, reading, swimming, and various others to keep me alert and energized.
I’ll crash later after expending my energies into useful and healthy tasks than slowly wasting it on idleness.
Focusing on developing healthy rest and relaxations patterns will allow physical and mental balance.
For now however, I’ll continue doing what I do best – assessing how long I can last through the end of the quarter with minimal rest.