Getting enough sleep can be a difficult thing for students throughout the school year. Teenagers and children in general, are frequently growing and need at least nine to 12 hours of sleep each night. Most people don’t get as much sleep as they need, considering how early they get up. Lack of sleep can negatively influence how students function at school and throughout the day.
On average, 73% of teenagers get around seven hours of sleep or less each school night. Most students don’t get nearly enough sleep that their bodies need. Teens don’t usually get more sleep on the weekends either and usually stay up much later than school nights. Getting less sleep can increase students’ risks of health problems and possibly attention and behavior problems. According to Health, it’s easier for teenagers to sleep in the summer because of the heat and having cooler body temperatures. Days are longer in summer, and that can also influence the amount of sleep people can get because of how the mind reacts to the time change.
There are also many things that people can do to help themselves fall asleep quicker or get more sleep. For example, avoiding large meals and caffeine before bed can help. Taking warm baths and getting yourself relaxed and comfortable can also help.
Stress is a major contributing factor in how well students can sleep. It can make sleeping almost impossible at times because of how tense it can make someone. Our bodies can’t sleep well if we aren’t comfortable. Relieving stress by focusing your mind on other things at night can help. Playing soft music or something in that area could be a good option because it can take your brain away from stressful thoughts. Around 53% of people have a fluent sleep schedule that they stick to throughout the week. It can vary slightly depending on if it’s the weekend or not, but for the most part, it stays about the same. Having a sleep schedule can help with stress as well because it can put the mind into the habit of falling asleep at a certain time.
Most high schoolers go to sleep around 11 PM each night. This can be negative since students have to get up so early, and it can reduce the amount of sleep they get. Most high schools start around seven am to eight am, depending on the area or school.