Hey alllll, this is Nikki Sciotto writing, Venues Chief at The Daily Collegian. Jill and I will both be frequently updating this Get A Nightlife blog. When I'm not hovered over a computer keyboard in the Collegian office at 123 S. Burrowes St., I'm usually out getting a night life, or something along those lines.
I'm sorry that I can't describe a booty shaking night at Indigo at the moment or table wars at the Phyrst; those will come. But this weekend, none of that seems appealing. There is only one thing I want to do. And that's sleep.
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF, yes, it exists), women need more sleep then men, but they often don't get it. That's not encouraging being that I'm a woman and this past week and week prior, I've slept an average of three hours a night. It seems like every night, I'm up late at The Collegian or catching up on school work. That doesn't even bother me so much as being abruptly wakened by a ridiculous thunderstorm i.e. the one that came rolling through earlier this week, or my neighbors blasting Led Zeppelin at 9 a.m. and playing beer pong. Sleep and I just haven't been able to get together lately and it makes me as cranky as a 7-year old pre-nap time.
Fortunately, there is proof that it is physically possible to catch up on lost sleep. Everyone's body requires roughly an average of 8 hours of sleep per night (depending on your body type and its needs), but if you begin to fall behind on your clocked hours of sleep, sleeping in and/or naps can get you up to speed.

According to NSF, short sleep duration can cause:
* Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
* Increase in body mass index - a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation
* Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
* Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
* Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information

I don't care to become obese, depressed, forget everything, or get into a vehicular accident. So, with that being said, I'm not hitting the town this Thursday through Saturday night, which may be my usual routine. Instead, I'll be in my room, curtains drawn and blacked out, but not from alcohol.