My name is Logan Brethour, I am a senior at Desert Mountain in National Honor Society and about to graduate from the IB program. I want to pass on my experience and struggles of getting enough sleep in high school. So please read this blog and learn from it!
Sleep deprivation is a common problem for today’s highschoolers as it has been proven to impact a student's physical and mental health, school performance, and may cause executive function impairments. A 2006 survey by the National Sleep Foundation reported that more than 87 percent of U.S. high school students get far less than the recommended eight to 10 hours. Moreover, the trend indicates the amount of time they sleep is decreasing. In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared the problem of tired teens a public health epidemic.
Here are a few symptoms of sleep deprived students to scare you:
-Inability to remember
-Unable to concentrate
-Sluggish
-Academically suffering
-Tired
-Reliance on Caffeine or sugar
Why is Sleep Important?
Sleep is believed to reinforce learning and memory, with studies showing that people perform better on mental tasks when they are well-rested. When you sleep, your brain is very active. From making memories, transferring information from short term to long term memory, and continuing development. When the brain is deprived of that opportunity, cognitive function suffers, along with the capacity to learn.
Students with higher grades reported sleeping more, going to bed earlier on school nights and sleeping in less on weekends than students who had lower grades. In reality, cramming (at the expense of sleep) is counter productive as much of the knowledge gained will only last short term and your mind will have difficulty recalling it when needed.
Research has shown that sleep problems among adolescents are a major risk factor for psychological issues. This includes anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, there is a link between sleep and suicidal thoughts that remains strong, independent of whether the teen has previously been depressed or has had drug and alcohol issues.
How to make Good Sleeping Habits
Here are some tips that you can apply to your own life and see if they help you sleep better.
Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Set a time limit for yourself, staying up until the early morning isn’t always worth it.
Always aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep.
Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.
Now what you have all been waiting for, The counter argument! The counter argument says that it is biologically valid for teens to want to fall asleep and wake up later. On average, the melatonin hormone release for teenagers can be up to two hours later than a younger counterpart. If you didn’t know, (I am a Bio HL student by the way), melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland [in the brain] that controls circadian rhythms (body’s sleep-wake cycle). While this is a valid argument, the US schools system reports that 93% of High Schools start on average before 8:30. Don’t feel too guilty for staying up or waking up late. But, make sure you have boundaries.
So if you find yourself late at night, cramming because of a test the following day, don’t undermine the importance of a good night’s rest. While we teens are well known for sacrificing sleep for other priorities, always remember that you won’t be your best until you have had a solid night’s sleep.
-Comment below what time you usually go to sleep!-
And don’t forget, please join the Wix app for further blog updates.
Komentarze