Sleep: one of the many aspects of a student’s life that is impacted by schoolwork, extracurriculars, and social activities. Although sometimes it feels like sleep is not important in comparison to your studies, it is vital that students get enough rest so that they are able to function at an optimal level throughout the day.
Written by Fatima Hussain
Introduction
Teenagers from 13 to 18 years should get 8–10 hours of sleep a night. However, studies have shown that the majority of students are not achieving these targets. One study showed that students from grades 6-8 about 6 out of 10 (57.8%) did not get enough sleep on school nights. The same study was done on high school students (grades 9-12) and revealed that around 7 out of 10 (72.7%) were not sleeping for at least 8 hours a night.
While sleep has many positive impacts on your physical, emotional, mental, and social health, here are the top reasons why sleep is more important than you might think.
1) Better Memory
It is common to have a habit of forgetting simple things when you’re tired. Recalling information is much more difficult when you can barely keep your eyes open. While the inability to memorize facts and statistics may not seem detrimental in the moment, it can be extremely inconvenient for students who need to study for their summation assessments.
2) Ability to Focus
It is common knowledge that without enough sleep, your ability to focus on work becomes impaired. You probably know the feeling - you can’t seem to focus on reading your textbook because a large cup of coffee or your warm bed are grasping your attention. Getting enough sleep is vital for keeping up with your studies and achieving academic success.
3) Better Mood
Although it is not widely talked about, being tired can make you more irritable and discouraged. In the long term, a lack of sleep could increase your chances of developing mental illnesses like depression. This means that with more sleep students will be happier and more optimistic throughout the day and be able to keep mentally healthy in the long run.
Conclusion
Overall, sleep is extremely important for students. A continual lack or absence of sleep can impact many portions of our lives. These aspects can cause students' grades to slip and make school more stressful than it already is. Self-care and personal health are incredibly important, but can feel trivial when you’re faced with mountains of work and an overwhelming schedule. The key is to listen to your body and find a balance that works for you.
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