Spartan Scroll

photo courtesy of developmentalempathy.org

by ANTHONY ATENCIO

Most students are not getting enough sleep, which is increasing their risk for health and behavioral problems.

Students need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to perform well in class. 

Unfortunately, according to aappublications.org, “researchers found 73% of high school students across 30 states are not getting enough sleep.” This leads to problems in and out of the classroom.

Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns throughout the week. According to The 

American Academy of Sleep Medicine, “The best way to maximize performance on final exams is to both study and get a good night of sleep.” Many students believe that if they stay up and study as much as they can, they could achieve the highest possible score on their exams. This has been proven false due to the fact that sleep is vital for one to remain energized during one’s various activities.

Many teens suffer from treatable sleep disorders. In 2006, the National Sleep Foundation 

surveyed more than 1,600 adolescents and found that many had depressive symptoms on a daily basis. Less sleep correlated with higher levels of depression and in turn, those kids with more depression had problems falling or remaining asleep. 

Dr. Mary Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry at Brown university, states that not getting 

enough sleep can “negatively affect teenager’s mood, ability to think, to react, to regulate their emotions and learn.”

Students should try to avoid doing homework last minute. If one procrastinates and 

attempts to do all of their work in a short amount of time, the quality of the work will greatly decrease and their grades could potentially drop. Therefore, the results one receives from this long and fruitless effort is not truly what they desired.

Students across the United States are not getting enough sleep which negatively affects 

their behavior and health.