I couldn’t stop and my van barreled into the side of the SUV. The SUV careened onto its side, seeming to pause in mid-air as it poised on two wheels and then it crashed to the ground and landed on its side.

My seatbelt kept me off of my steering wheel.

The front of my van steamed, the engine sputtered and died. I escaped without injury, but I didn’t believe that the person in the SUV was going to be as lucky.

I ran across the road and tried to see the driver, but airbags and newspapers covered the inside of the car. I knelt down into the broken glass without even feeling the shards prick my legs. I pulled paper after paper out of the window and called out to the person in the car.

A finely manicured and decorated hand emerged from the window and reached out to me. A thin trickle of blood flowed from the protruding veins of the elderly woman’s hand. She said, “Honey, I’m alright. I’m just stuck.”

After a half-hour the fire department had her out of the car and she walked to the ambulance. Although I had totaled her car and mine, we walked away from the accident with only minor injuries.

The cause of the accident was simply written up as careless driving, but I ran that stoplight because I am careless about getting enough sleep, especially when I have an exam or a paper to write.

My mind was tired and it didn’t notice the green light turn to red until it was too late. Thankfully that mistake only totaled our cars and not our lives.

Our bodies need sleep just like we need to eat. Without sleep, I am cranky, forgetful, and prone to running red lights.

The week I had the accident, I had a major paper due and two mid-terms. The night before, I had stayed up till 4:00 am and then I was back up two hours later.

Since then, I can’t say that I always sleep the recommended eight hours, but it has definitely made me more aware of how slow my reflexes are when I am exhausted.

No amount of Burn, Red Bull or my 20 cups of coffee a day can replace the nutrient of sleep.

Exam week looms ahead. Final papers are due and the temptation to stay up all night is sometimes more than I can resist. I don’t need anymore guilty verdicts and I definitely don’t want to risk the lives of those around me…I think I better go to sleep (and maybe you need to as well).

So good night until next semester. Sleep well.