Bed by 11 - Post Week 5

Five weeks into a six week challenge, we are closer than ever to reaching the finish line. It's clear those left are going to make it, but the question is whether they intend to hold on to this habit when prying eyes are gone. Let's hear our final three participants' thoughts:

**With 5 weeks done, do you feel as if being in bed by 11 will be a steady habit in a week? **

Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I think that in a week being in bed by 11 will continue to be a steady habit as I've already gotten used to doing so.”

Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “The past 5 weeks have proven my old self wrong in showing that I can be productive and maintain a proper sleep schedule at the same time! I now have no good reason to ruin this habit after I (hopefully) finish this challenge.”

Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Yes! Or at least the feeling that not sleeping by 11 is terrible will be ingrained into my mentality completely.”

Are you looking forward to being done with the officialties of this challenge?

Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “Honestly, I am looking forward a bit to being done with the officialties of this challenge as it does cause a bit of pressure that has me worried at times.”

Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “No, I kind of like having that feeling of being grounded in discipline and having rules to follow when everything else in life can get disorganized from time to time. I have also grown a liking to the weekly check-ins because I haven't journaled or given time for myself to reflect the same way I have the last few weeks in a long time.”

Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Hmm... I'm not sure. I fear the officialties is what kept me so committed to this, but I'm always learning new things about myself.”

Are there any noticeable changes between benefits and drawbacks (from this challenge) observed in the first week and now?

Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “In the first week I wasn't able to notice any benefits as I just started the challenge, however, 5 weeks in I've been feeling less groggy in the mornings with more energy. As for drawbacks there were none for the first week and still none up until now.”

Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “HAHAHA the benefits of getting enough sleep don't exist anymore for me :'). I miss them, they actually gave me such a surprising amount of clarity! Now after week 5, I actually feel much more sleep-deprived (as I should on <6 hours). I honestly think that's a good thing. Previously, I had grown used to the numbness of constantly being tired, but now I am more in tune with my body and can physically feel it when it tells me to take better care of myself. Buuuut on the other hand... I have started drinking coffee (very, very weak coffee) only for feeling less groggy in the early mornings and the sake of keeping peak focus from caffeine (I literally count the hours before tests). Let's just hope I don't develop a dependency on it, what can go wrong?"

Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Maybe. I still face the challenge of dragging my sister off her computer and into bed on time. The benefits remain the same in essence but are increasing in magnitude. I'm getting less energized but that's because I'm sleeping less hours. However, my good habit/routine practices are back in, and I know for a fact that I wouldn't have had the energy or mindfulness to bounce back into wellness if I wasn't organized and committed to one good habit: sleeping by 11.”

Has (keeping up with) this challenge contributed to more or less stress for you?

Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): "It has contributed a bit of stress as workload for my courses has increased and I find myself spending more time on homework meaning that I'm working later into the night. This makes my night routine a bit more rushed than previous weeks causing a bit of stress as I need to ensure that I'm in bed by 11.”

Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “More stress, but unlike the usual challenges life throws my way, it's a good stress that keeps me in check and I would like it to stay (surprisingly).”

Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Overall, less stress. Knowing I am keeping up with one healthy commitment that is my own decision actually alleviates stress because that means that even if I flunk my physics quests or struggle over getting relative acute angles, at least I've got my sleep routine together. At least I'm not a complete failure:')”

How do you feel moving on with this challenge for Week 6?

Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): "So close to finishing the challenge, I'm excited for the final week!”

Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “ONE MORE WEEK LET'S GOOOO (but I'm still hoping to keep going after this). I'm really excited to finally complete this challenge!!!!”

Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Never been better:)”

Which best describes you right now?

Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): Option 2 (woozy, dizzy)

Julianne Ho (Grade 11): Option 5 (sunglasses, chilling)

Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): Option 10 (popcorn, vibing)

If you would like to make any suggestions for our next "Make or Break" series, we would love to hear your suggestions! Send them in through here: https://forms.gle/9XwhusCA63ueVxCm9