Students at the beginning of the year can feel ready for a fresh start but begin to lose sleep as the school year progresses. This can result in many losing concentration and information from class.
May is Better Sleep Month, the time for recognizing the importance of sleep. Encouraging people to improve their sleeping habits, Better Sleep Council states that a good night’s sleep is essential for a person’s ability to function effectively during the day.
“Instead of procrastinating all your work, you should get it done as soon as possible,” sophomore Jahnavi Revuru said. “[Students] should build a good schedule and should put technology down an hour or two before sleep, so your eyes have time to rest before you get in bed.”
Sleep is a critical part of an individual’s health according to the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC). When people sleep, the brain and body reset, starting a series of recovery processes that cannot be done while awake. In the short term, sleep deprivation can make a person feel drowsy. It can also affect their cognitive abilities, memory, mood and energy levels.
“When I get good sleep or enough sleep consistently, it makes me feel better,” senior Natalie Hodinko said. ” High schoolers are under so much pressure and I think especially athletes and people who are trying to balance school, sports and work, like I was, so it’s important to have that time to…reset.”
The impact of sleep deprivation goes beyond the short-term consequences that come with a single night of sleeplessness, according to the NPHIC. Those who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to develop a variety of common chronic diseases and health conditions, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.
“A lot of diseases and [others sickness] can come from a lack of sleep and you would be at a higher risk of getting [it],” junior Abby Hunt said.
Each year the Fairfax County Government collaborates with Fairfax County Public Schools to conduct the Fairfax County Youth Survey. The survey looks at behaviors, experiences and other factors that affect the health and wellbeing of Fairfax County’s youth. The study surveys students in grades six, eight, 10 and 12 to measure the community’s effectiveness in promoting healthy choices among young people. In the 2019 Fairfax County Youth Survey, only ⅓ of students said they slept eight or more hours a night. An average student ages 13-18 should be getting eight to 10 hours of sleep per night.
“In high school, sleep is especially important because students are developing and changing so much and it’s what you do right before you go into a career or go to college, so you have to pay attention to all your classes so you can set yourself up for success,” Hunt said.
