Imagine this: A student walks into her day’s first class, tired and stressed. She has a test today and stayed up all night studying for it. She thinks she’s prepared, but little does she know that her all-nighter cost her an A. She writes her name on the test but nothing else. She can’t remember anything she studied; she’s feeling anxious and hasn’t been feeling right all day. She fails because she didn’t get any sleep.
The young minds of today’s society are not getting enough sleep, impacting their mental health and academic performance. Sleep affects every individual’s brain and mental condition on Earth, and insufficient sleep is becoming a more common problem every day. Studies show that the quality of an individual’s sleep can affect their mental health, social function, and odds of frequent mental distress. Sleep plays a very important role in keeping the brain healthy. A good night’s sleep can improve one’s ability to focus, learn, retain information, and be creative. Despite all these benefits, according to a study by the CDC, “about 7 out of 10 students (72.7%) did not get enough sleep on school nights.” If an individual is sleep deficient, the brain can’t function normally. Irregular and inadequate sleep patterns can affect one’s ability to reason, make decisions, function in public, and regulate emotions.
In addition to this, sleep deficiency has been linked to several serious mental disorders. Sleep can impact one’s feelings and thoughts. Insufficient sleep can worsen existing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, and these conditions can, in turn, negatively affect sleep. Experts from the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry have stated, “Poor or insufficient sleep has been found to increase negative emotional responses to stressors and to decrease positive emotions.” The damaging effects of inadequate sleep, especially in high school-aged students, can be seen.
When asked how she slept on the night of November 14th, Alaysha Khera ’28 said, “Terribly.” When further questioned about her sleep schedule, Khera stated she only gets about five hours of sleep per night and that her sleep quality is usually awful. She explained that her nightly lack of sleep stems from her rigorous lessons, extracurricular activities, and homework schedule. She is then obligated to wake up early to arrive at school on time, preventing her from getting the rest she needs.
Developing children need an average of eight to ten hours of sleep every night, but their packed schedules often prevent them from achieving this. Children are often pressured into overworking themselves in school and extracurriculars. Between classes, tutoring, homework, and sports, kids barely have time to relax, play, or enjoy their youth—let alone sleep. It is a frequent occurrence for students to be forced to choose between their studies and sleep. This epidemic of insufficient sleep among students impacts their grades, moods, behaviors, and physical health. Researchers from the CDC state that “children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and injuries.” In an academic environment that puts students under extreme stress and requires them to spend more time on work than on rest, it is no wonder that today’s students can’t get enough sleep.
Now imagine this: A student walks into her first class of the day, well-rested and confident. She has a test today but studied for it yesterday and isn’t too nervous. She’s prepared, she’s energized, and she’s ready to take the test. She writes her name on the test and doesn’t stop until every question is answered to the best of her ability. She worked hard, slept well, and got an A.
