Do you ever wonder why you are so tired? Or maybe why your grades suffer even if you are trying your best? If so, then you might not get enough sleep. Maybe it’s because you are always up until 10:00 P.M. or later studying for that big exam you have in three days. Perhaps it’s because you have to wake up at 5:30 A.M. every day, just to get to school on time. Getting enough sleep every night has many benefits, and most schools in America are taking that privilege away from you. In the U.S., too many teens are sleep deprived. In fact, 85% of middle and high school students don’t get enough sleep. The average teenager needs at least nine hours and at most eleven hours of sleep each night. Most teens only get seven hours per night, and a study …show more content…
Teens who sleep the required amount every night are less likely to have severe acne. A study showed that for every hour of sleep someone loses, stress increases by 14%. The more stress someone has, the more acne they get. Getting enough sleep will also help with moodiness. When a student gets more sleep, they will, obviously, be less tired. Usually when people are well-rested, they are more alert and happy. Sleeping also helps with memory. When someone doesn’t get enough sleep, they tend to forget things such as important dates or names. On the other hand, when someone sleeps for too long, over twelve hours, they forget a lot of things, like what they did that day or the day before. Thankfully, it is temporary, but it is not very helpful if there is a big test that day. Everyone has a natural timing system in their bodies. This system tells you when to go to bed or when to wake up. Sometimes this timing system can be thrown off by staying up late or waking up too early. Most of the growing process happens while a teen is sleeping, because hormones are released and the bones can grow easily while they are rested. Lack of sleep can stunt growth and can harm the the growing part of puberty. One night or week of of bad sleep will not affect growth, but when it becomes a habit to get poor sleep, it will affect a teen’s
Why Schools Should Continue Starting at Eight Despite popular opinion, to be beneficial, schools should continue on their current schedules, and not start later. Starting schools later can have a variety of positive and negative consequences on students. Schools currently are at a time that gives students enough lesson time to learn subjects, but still have time to relax and take part in other activities after school. Many families depend on the time school starts to have easy transportation to school and work. Starting schools later will take away students time to do activities of their choice such as spend time with their families, socialize with others, and participate in extracurricular activities.
Were you aware that teens tend to have irregular sleeping patterns that can harm their body and the way it functions? When it comes to sleep, teens are inclined to stay up very late during the week and wake up very early in the morning. On the weekends, they seem to gravitate more towards waking up very late to catch up on the sleep that they missed earlier in the week. Now that you know what the causes of having irregular sleeping patterns can do to a teenager’s body, you will be able to see the positive and negative effects of what not having enough sleep can do to one’s self. These facts will be explored through the articles “Should Schools Start Later” by Justin O’Neill and “Why Schools Should Start Later in the Morning” by Emily Richmond.
Studies conducted over a nearly 30 year span have consistently shown only a small fraction of adolescents get the 9 or more hours of sleep they require to function at their best. While teenagers are notorious for causing their own sleep difficulties, sleep loss among adolescents is confined primarily to school nights. “Sleep deprivation is epidemic among adolescents, with potentially serious impacts on mental and physical health, safety, and learning. Most teenagers undergo a biological shift to a later sleep-wake cycle, which can make early school start times particularly challenging.” says
It’s seven thirty in the morning, the time that most American high schools begin class. Instead of being chipper and ready to learn, most teenagers, at this time of the morning, can barely remain awake. These puffy eyed pupils are by no means ready to learn. Sixty percent children under 18 reported being sleepy during the day, with another fifteen percent reporting that they had fallen asleep during the school day within the past year (National Sleep Foundation, Dozing). Though adolescents require a larger amount of sleep than younger children, they usually receive much less (Indiana University Center for Adolescent Studies). The amount of sleep a teenager receives affects him or her both physically and mentally. Sleep deprived teenagers are more likely to be irritable, be depressed, not perform up to their capabilities in school, and have a decreased ability to handle complex tasks (National Parent Information Network). Though teenage sleep deprivation is a big problem, some simple solutions such as rescheduling the school day to fit teenagers’ biological needs, setting consistent sleep schedules, and teaching children the importance of proper sleep habits can easily remedy this problem.
Teens spend most of their day at school but are unable to fulfill their learning opportunities because of little or no sleep.
(Teens4) Work schedules for teens are also a contributing factor. Teens who work more than fifteen hours a week after school and on the weekends have less time for sleep. Teens typically stay up late and sleep in late on weekends which can affect the quality of their sleep. “If parents and teens know what good sleep entails and the benefits of making and sticking to a plan that supports good sleep, then they might re-examine what they think ‘essential activities’ truly are” (Teens5). Sleep deprivation can affect the way the brain functions during the day when teenagers are need of it the
According to the National Sleep Foundation, biological sleep patterns change throughout the stages of adolescence. ¨Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence-meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00pm.¨ (¨Teens and Sleep¨). Messing with these sleep cycles in the long run and lead to sleep disorders. Research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests teenagers 13-18 years old should regularly sleep 8-10 hours each night for a healthy sleep. The teens who do not get a good amount of sleep are more likely to suffer from mental conditions, smoking, illicit drugs, and alcohol use. ¨Not getting enough sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks including being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs, as well as poor academic performance.¨ (¨Schools Start Too Early¨). On an NBC news story, Hilton Head Island High School moved its start time and benefits were noticeable. Students had higher test score averages and grades improved throughout the school.A study done in 2008 published in the journal of clinical sleep, found car accident rates fell by 16.5% when students were more aware on the road, not having to wake up before 7 am.
Sleep is an important human function, and without it your body is unable to do the human tasks it is normally able to do. Not sleeping can cause harmful results. Many schools have researched and examined information on what would be the best start time for students to perform at their best. Most students do not get the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep needed in order to function properly. Most teens do not get enough sleep — one study found that only 15% reported sleeping 8 1/2 hours on school nights,” (Teens and Sleep). Limiting the amount of time you sleep affects your personality as well as ability to function. Therefore, many districts have reviewed their start times to start later, in order to see more refined results.
Kids need to get more sleep because it affects their health “Both the CDC and the pediatricians’ group cited significant risks that come with lack of sleep, including higher rates of obesity and depression and motor-vehicle accidents among teens as well as an overall lower quality of life.” (Emily Richmond).
Schools are thinking about changing the time when schools start. Picture an not awake student scrambling through the hallway in the morning, struggling to get to class. In fact, studies have shown how lack of sleep can affect our “executive function” that can result in shortened temper, lower motivation, and slower reflexes which is not something we need in life. Despite this, studies have shown that delaying a school can result in saving nine billion dollars in 2 years ( RAND 2018 ). Still, schools start too early causing grades to lower and can even cause some accidents that could have been saved with a good amount of sleep. Lack of sleep can lower test scores, waking yourself up early every day, should stop now.
Don't you hate waking up early for school in the morning? Most high school students wake up before the sun rises just to become ready for school. Teenage brains do not begin to function that early considering many are tired from staying up late the previous night. The National Sleep Foundation reported that most teens do not retain enough shuteye, one study found that only 15% reported sleeping eight 1/2 hours on school nights. That fact was extremely true for me when I attended high school. I barely was able to wake up, get dressed, and be in school on time since I was so tired. In my opinion school days should start later, precisely in between 9- 10 o'clock. If the school day started later attendance would improve, students will be more prepared, and student's attitudes and grades may improve.
Should school start at 7:00 or should it start later in the morning? In Douglas High School, start times are at 7:30 in the morning. Changing the school schedule to a later start time would result in many other changes affecting a lot of people. According to the Sleep Foundation, "The change will affect the entire community, from students and parents to businesses, libraries, police, youth sports clubs, bus drivers and many others." Altering the school schedule would influence numerous aspects of people’s lives. Highly coordinated routines would have to be changed and adapted to the new schedule. A later release time would take time off of students’ free time in the afternoon. Clubs, sports, jobs, and other after-school activities would have
The American Academy of pediatrics agrees by stating “Getting enough sleep is important for students' health, safety, and academic performance, early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need.” Sleep is important in many aspects in life but focusing on school, sleep is very important. School start times are preventing teenagers from getting necessary sleep. Judith Owens, director of sleep medicine at Boston's Children's Hospital and lead author of the pediatric academy report, using information from the CDC, says “Adolescents who do not get enough sleep are at higher risk for being overweight, depressed and using drugs.” It makes sense for kids needing to sleep to get into trouble and have problems. Many people using drugs or people with depression seem to be tired. The U.S. Department of Education claims that on school nights students should get 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep. The recommended amount of sleep is the required amount of sleep for full potential and activity. Students are more willing to learn and learn easier when they get enough sleep. Early school start times are not letting students get the required amount of
Teens need about 9 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function best. Most teens do not get enough sleep. One study found that 85% students didn’t get enough sleep on school nights.
Fifty six percent of students report being tired throughout the school day, which can lead to missed information and confusion (Wysong). According to this statistic, over half the students in class are not going to achieve their maximum learning potential in school. In order to avoid this problem, a teenager's brain typically needs to sleep from 11:00 pm to 8:00 am (“High schools starting later to help sleepy teens”). However, most high schools require students to be in class as early as 7:15 or 7:30 am. As a result, many adolescents simply do not have the opportunity to get enough rest. Changing the traditional school time to start later in the day will benefit adolescent sleep cycles, promote learning, and prevent disease by regulating the body. Ideally,...