Late nights lead to snoozing in class
December 8, 2015
Many students are staying up all hours of the night becoming sleep deprived, and sometimes spending class time sleeping.
Nurse Sheree Caron says that research shows, in order to function well, students need about nine hours of sleep, or symptoms of sleep deprivation may occur.
“Obviously the tiredness, the fatigue, it affects your ability to concentrate, [you are] not as alert and focused as you would be,” Caron said.
Due to these symptoms, school work and grades can also be affected.
“I think that potentially it could affect your academics,” Caron said. “Like anything in life, when you want to do something well, you want to be optimally at your best, you need to be physically at your best. Whether it’s physical activity, or a mental challenge, or academics. If it’s only an occasional thing it’s not so bad, if it’s a chronic issue obviously its gonna have a more chronic result.”
Of the 207 students surveyed in homeroom during the week of November 2, eighty one percent think that sleep deprivation affects them in a negative way academically.
Junior Kelly McCann believes that sleep deprivation impacts her academic performance.
“By the end of the day, I’m wicked tired and I have my most important class at the end of the day,” McCann said.
Having important classes at the end of the day while you’re getting more and more tired, your sleep deprivation starts to rub off on your academic work.
Many students say that homework is the primary reason they’re losing hours of sleep; however procrastination and media use are also factors.
“I leave homework till late so I finish late and then I watch Netflix,” junior Patrick Neusch said.
“Just doing homework keeps me up at night,” sophomore Lydia Budz said. “I think I need like six to eight [hours of sleep]. I get probably four to five.”
While getting far less than the suggested nine hours of sleep per night, many students find it hard to stay awake during classes.
Budz said she finds staying awake in some classes more difficult than others. “[I sometimes fall asleep in] Chemistry, and geometry, because it’s really early in the morning.” Budz said.
“I almost fall asleep in every class and I take a nap when I get home,” Neusch said.
English teacher Monica Grehoski, who has school-aged children of her own, is knowledgeable about the issue of sleep deprivation.
“I do have kids looking sleepy…I feel irritated that they’re falling asleep, but then I feel badly that they’re tired and they’re falling asleep, and then I assume that I’m being boring,” Grehoski said.
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