Are Students Getting Enough Sleep?

By: Lexie Fuhr

Whether or not students realize it, sleep is just as vital to their well-being as the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the food they eat. To be able to function properly during the school day, it is essential for teenagers to sleep for about 8 ½ hours. Not getting the right amount of sleep can limit teens’ abilities to learn, listen, and concentrate in school, and can also generate the aggressive and inappropriate behavior some bring into the classroom. Some studies reveal however, that only 15% of students are getting the necessary amount of sleep each night. With time consuming activities such as school, practices, meetings, part-time jobs, in addition to the excessive amounts of homework some teachers assign, it is near impossible for students to get this much needed rest. When asked to comment on the issue of teens and their sleeping habits and how sleep affects their well-being, Colonie High School Senior, Aimee Bacher explains, “I usually get about seven hours of sleep on school night, and days that I don’t get enough sleep are unproductive and painful.” Research shows that a student’s internal clock, or their circadian rhythm, makes it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. Students would need to sleep until at least 7:30 a.m. to get a good night’s sleep, but very few high schools in the country begin after 8 a.m. However, several schools throughout the nation have noted this research, and pushed back the start time. The faculty and staff of these certain institutions believe this has brought about immense change in their students behavior. Not only do students miss class less, pay more attention and perform better in class, but students have also reported lower levels of depression. Bacher believes this would be beneficial to this school district as well. “I think productivity as a whole would increase, because it’s been proven most teenagers don’t mentally wake up until about third period anyways,” she says.