Can I put my air conditioner on a light switch?
Assuming you're plugging this unit into a standard wall outlet, then just replace the outlet itself with a switched outlet.  Better yet,  get yourself the infamous "clap on - clap off" controller and you can control it w/o even raising your head off the pillow :-)

But, as Levi warns,  air conditioners, to be precise, their compressors, do not like rapid on/off cycling.  If you're going to use an external switch, be sure not to turn it on within maybe 10 minutes of turning it off.