Going into this challenge, I am prepared for the worst. I do not think I will be able to get a full nine hours of sleep every night with the amount of homework and time I put into track practice. I am willing to try, though, because maybe my efforts will lead to fewer yawns and smaller eye bags.

Day One

Today was rough. I was not prepared and stayed up watching “Wedding Crashers” with my friend till 11 at night. Surprisingly, I still managed to get nine hours of sleep because I didn’t wake up till 8:30 the next morning. I slept deeply after a heavy day of skiing and became motivated to get nine hours this week.

Day Two

The first night I exceeded my goal and slept a total of 10 hours. I was exhausted from a long day of snowball fights and tubing, so falling into a deep sleep was easy. I was even able to drown out the loud Taylor Swift music playing throughout the car. To be fair I did kind of cheat because I was on a long car ride and had to wake up for a couple minutes to transfer from my car to my bed. Half-asleep, I trudged up the stairs and onto my bed, and then fell asleep on top of my covers as soon as my head hit my pillow. I woke up at 7 o’clock sharp from the sound of my alarm. For the first time in months I got up promptly at 7 without falling back asleep or hiding in my blankets. I felt fresh and ready to go, so I jumped out of bed and did my morning routine. I was ready at 7:30 am, half an hour before I normally am.

Day Three

I was stacked high with homework Monday night. One essay and one project due the next day. I got home from track around 6:30 and ate dinner and showered. At 8:00 I began work on my english project, working diligently to try and meet my 10:30 bedtime goal. By 9:30, I had begun to work on finishing my  history essay. I watched the minutes tick away as I typed. I submitted on google classroom at 10:15. Shortly after, I rushed to wash my face and brush my teeth, knowing that I might not make the deadline. With minutes to spare I put my phone and computer downstairs and hugged my parents goodnight. I rushed upstairs, but it was 10:43, and I would not get nine hours of sleep. I woke up feeling drowsy and not prepared, as I usually do in the morning. I looked at the clock—it was 7:45! I had slept through my alarm and had 15 minutes to get ready. I jumped out of bed and went to get ready as my mom yelled at me from downstairs for not being ready. I ran out the door carrying my shoes and my lunch bag with my backpack half on. That day I was sitting in spanish thinking about how nice it would be to be sleeping in my bed. I rested my head on my arm not thinking about Spanish, but of nothing at all, really, and before I knew it I was being shaken awake by my classmate. My eyes blinked back into focus as I stared up at the clock. I had been asleep for 20 minutes and I could feel my teachers disappointed eyes burning into the side of my head. I was now truly feeling the consequences of not getting enough sleep.

Day Six

Today, I spent 6 hours at Westmoore high school in Daly City for a Track meet. By the time I got home at 7:30 that night I was exhausted. Windblown and with my track-jersey still on, I rested my head on my lounge and before I knew it my alarm was ringing and my mom was yelling at me to wake up. It should have been an easier wake up because of my over nine and a half hours of sleep, but I was not ready to get up. I hadn’t brushed my teeth or washed my face the night before and my hair was still in the messy ponytail from the windy meet. I felt sore from sleeping on my lounge instead of my bed and my muscles ached from working so hard (and winning my event). I stood up and instantly crumpled back onto my lounge, grabbing my throbbing ankle. I had forgotten that i’d injured it the day before in the windy, bad pole-vaulting conditions. I finally got up and hobbled to the bathroom. I rushed through my morning activities and slipped on some sweats for school. The beginning of the day was rough, but by the end of the day I realized my sleep had payed off because I was no longer drowsy and I was jacked with energy for practice. I concluded that because of the conditions I slept in, my morning was slow but the amount of sleep I got resulted in a jump of very-much needed energy at the end of the day.

Day Seven

My parents got a new movie for me to watch with them, and we weren’t able to start it till 8:30 because I had homework. I didn’t ask how long the movie was—I figured it would be fine. About a third of the way through, my mom paused the movie to go pick up my sister from volleyball. Bay club is not super close to our house, so it took about a half hour total. I again thought nothing of it and sat with my popcorn watching Loving (a great movie on the civil rights movement by the way). Time passed, interracial marriage got legalized and my eyelids began to flutter, but the screen called. I glanced at the clock: it was 10:23. I had a choice. Do I sacrificed my sleep and watch the end of the movie or do I get my full nine hours of sleep and complete the final day of my challenge? I looked back at the screen. There was only five minutes left in the movie, so I decided I would stay and watch, and then just set my alarm to 8 instead of 7:30 because I would not be able to fall asleep in 2 minutes. The movie ended and I was up before the credits could start rolling. I rushed to my bed and flew through my nightly routine. By 10:45 I was in bed with my eyes closed. As my challenge came to a close, I wondered if I would be able to continue getting the right amount of sleep without the motivation of having to write an article about it. The challenge had left me feeling rejuvenated, but I didn’t think I could keep it up for much longer.