Some students are not getting the recommended amount of sleep every night even though the benefits of extra sleep can really help students. To get the extra sleep needed, having a schedule will help.
Health and Physical Education teacher Mrs. Teresa Gauthier said, “Some kids are getting seven to eight hours of sleep… [It] doesn’t seem that other kids are getting near there.”
From a teacher’s perspective, the teenage age group from 14-18 is not getting enough sleep every night. Mrs. Gauthier believes that only three out every 10 students are getting the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep for the age group.
Mrs. Gauthier said that she believes the reasons that students stay up so late are because they are constantly on their phones, doing their homework, and being on social media.
According to Mrs. Gauthier, there are benefits of getting extra sleep.
“The longer you sleep, the more you have REM sleep you have…[You are able to] solidify things that happened in the course of the day during REM sleep,” Mrs. Gauthier said.
Mrs. Gauthier recommended that in order to be able to get more sleep, students need to not mess with their circadian rhythm over the weekend. Taking a shower or bath before going to sleep, turning off the computer and phone early, not sleeping with a phone next to them, getting fresh air outside and exercising during the day can help.
One of the most important tips is to have a schedule and to be organized during the day.
Sophomore Aidan Graber believes he gets “seven to eight hours max” of sleep every night. He said that watching TV or activities such as doing homework, studying for tests, playing games, and going for late night walks keeps him up later at night.