Social Hour vs. My Sleep Cycle
October 21st, 2025
Photo: Natalia Pinto
Writer: Olivia Aversano
Editor: Sophie Graff
We’ve all heard the saying “nothing good happens past midnight.” Well, I would beg to differ. Everything good happens after midnight. Late night is when spontaneous adventures unfold: impromptu froyo runs, deep talks, unexpected side quests, and all the inside jokes that stay forever.
This phrase had me wondering recently about all the times that I’ve skipped out on these special nights to stay in and be sure to get my 8 hours of sleep. My parents would often tell me when I first went off to college, “Sleep is almost as important as what you eat.” Of course, they are right, sleep is important; however, every time I go to bed early, I wonder if I am making the wrong choice and missing out on some of the best memories being made with my friends.
Whether it's going out for drinks at the bar and dancing until dawn or maybe it's just watching a movie with your friends and family. Late at night is when friends tend to open up; their relationship drama, secret thoughts, and the things they’d never say in the daylight. There is no doubt that these conversations, raw and unfiltered, are often what bring people closer and lay the foundation for friendships that can last a lifetime.
Nonetheless, sleep is a critical factor for our health that we are forced to consider each and every day. While everyone's sleep habits are different, we all face the same consequences for not getting enough sleep. It could be impactful to our physical and even emotional health in the present day and in the long run.
Doctor Lawrence Epstein, a medical director of Sleep HealthCenters in Brighton, Massachusetts, and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, stated in a research study that, “after two weeks of sleeping six hours or less a night, students feel as bad and perform as poorly as someone who has gone without sleep for 48 hours. New research highlights the importance of sleep in learning and memory. Students getting adequate amounts of sleep performed better on memory and motor tasks than did students deprived of sleep.” (Epstein, 2017) Based on Dr. Epstein’s ideas, we can truly recognize the importance of sleep and how the lack of it can impact almost every aspect of our lives.
Here presents the real dilemma: if sleep is this important, should I just always skip out on the best moments in a college student’s life? But what’s the point of being well-rested if I’m missing the very experiences that make college memorable? How do I find the balance?
As a college student myself, I have wrestled with this question constantly. Being away from home, surrounded by my friends and perfect opportunities to make valuable memories, I don’t want to miss out on these moments. How could I stay out late making memories while still getting the rest my body needs?
Maybe the answer is not choosing between getting sleep and having fun, but finding the right balance. As it turns out, our social interactions could also be as impactful to our health and well-being as sleeping. Based on studies performed by a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Notre Dame, Nitesh Chawla, a robust social life can “lower stress levels; improve mood; encourage positive health behaviors and discourage damaged ones” (Chawla 2019). So with the right friends and not too frequent late nights, you can find the perfect balance between staying up late and making the most of your life.
References
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (2017, November 6). College students: Getting enough sleep is vital to academic success. AASM. https://aasm.org/college-students-getting-enough-sleep-is-vital-to-academic-success/
Ducharme, J. (2019, June 25). Why spending time with friends is one of the best things you can do for your health. TIME. https://time.com/5609508/social-support-health-benefits/
