Sleep Deprivation and Its Effect On Students

Did you know that the average amount of sleep students should be getting every night is nine hours? Many high school students this day and age have trouble getting the right amount of sleep causing sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is defined as getting too little sleep or lacking the total amount of sleep you should be obtaining. There are many factors as to why a student isn’t getting the proper sleep needed.

School priorities is one of the main reasons as to why students these days are sleep deprived. Now that seniors are focusing on SAT’s/ACT’s as well as college applications, many are struggling with getting things done on time. These upcoming priorities are causing them to stay up late, which hurts their sleeping schedules greatly.

“Studying for my SAT has really stressed me out, only getting four hours of sleep is the even harder part,” Senior, Stella Subido said.

Not only does school itself make it harder for students to get the proper sleep needed, after school activities like clubs and sports also make it difficult.

When kids reach a certain age in their youth, the time at which they would usually go to sleep at changes drastically. Going to sleep later is just the way an adolescent’s brain works and it has a huge effect on them. Having to wake up even earlier for school, doesn’t help at all. School begins at exactly 7:20 am, which makes it difficult for a teen who goes to sleep at 11 pm to wake up with no problem at all.

Being sleep deprived can have many effects on students. Falling behind in school is one of the huge problems that may arise with not getting enough sleep. Sleeping less affects your concentration in classes. Without even noticing, you might catch yourself dozing off during an exam or forgetting important things learned in the classroom environment.

When it comes to school, making sure your memory is intact as well as your creativity and how you make decisions is extremely critical. Without the proper amount of sleep, it will be harder for students to succeed in school.

“I’ve been staying up lately due to many projects and I feel like when I get to my second period, I can’t concentrate at all because of how tired I am,” Freshman, Edward Franco said.

The lack of sleep can cause students to become more easily irritated with others. Sleep deprivation can cause changes in personality as well as even bring up depression. Moodiness arises from having to deal with too much stress. Stress can come from having to finish all your school work or tasks in a certain amount of time. But more stress is added from the fact that you’re getting as little as three hours of sleep. It’s like adding fuel to the fire. Struggling to get things done like homework and projects and then only getting to rest for a short amount of time can cause students to become angry or sad.

“Sleeping late definitely does not allow me to have a cheerful attitude throughout school,” Freshman, Nadia Rodriguez said.

Sleep deprivation is a huge problem many kids are facing lately. Not only does lack of sleep affect your brain and cognitive functions, your academic performance in school may even drop significantly. For all the seniors stressing about college and exams, sleep deprivation is at its peak. It’s important to remember that maintaining a regular sleeping schedule is key. Trying to cut down on naps might help as well!