Here in the UK it’s Spring at last, the clocks went forward last week , gardens are a riot of colour and the trees are all putting on their new leaves.
Now to some of you, the fact that we put the clocks forward in Spring (meaning we get an hour less in bed) and then back in Autumn must seem very odd. I must admit that it seems pretty pointless to me. But it’s apparently so that we can make more use of daylight with longer summer evenings.
Some think having BST (British Summer Time) is a good thing because it saves energy, by making better use of natural daylight, and helps to reduce traffic accidents. Others don’t like it because they argue that it doesn’t actually save any energy, and it can make it darker when children are going to school in the morning, which can be dangerous. They also think it is not very good for our health.
And that is the issue I want to discuss in this post. Sleep! Putting clocks forwards and backwards can disrupt our sleep patterns and sleep is important if we are to work (and play) efficiently.
There’s no ‘right amount’ of sleep – you’ve got to listen to what your body is telling you. The British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, used to say she could function well on only three hours a night. Many teenagers think that if they get less than 10 hours they won’t be able to cope! You’ve just got to go for what’s best for you. Because if you don’t get the amount that your own body requires then your ability to work effectively will be impaired. And this can lead to you being short tempered (not a good way to impress people), irrational and making bad decisions. Plus if you’re studying, you won’t be able to concentrate as well, so it will take you longer to learn things properly.
We still have no definite answers to why we need to sleep, but there are plenty of theories which you might find interesting!
Finally, before I close I’d just like to talk about having confidence in yourself. I’ve been reading a book about how to deal with anxiety, and if you’re anxious you often have low levels of confidence. And this can cause problems in so many parts of your life: at work, in your social life, when studying and taking exams, when you’re travelling… the list goes on. So I’d like to recommend this article – it really will get you thinking and, of the points it makes, I’d like to stress these two in particular: think positive and then act positive!
Until next month…
Author: Diana Nadin
