Many students come into school with little to no sleep. MHS Media conducted a small survey of 10 Marist students. They were asked questions about sleep habits and other things that could affect their sleep.
The average high school teen in America is supposed to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep according to kidshealth.org. In our poll, the average time that students went to sleep was about 11:30 p.m. and the average time they woke up was about 6:45 a.m.. That means Marist students are getting about seven hours and 15 minutes of sleep. Getting an extra hour can make the difference between being tired and feeling refreshed.
The main reasons for people staying up late are homework, games or practice, using electronics, anxiety, and uncomfortable sleeping environments. In our poll 40% said homework and phone were to blame, 20% said just their phone, 10% said just homework, and 30% said they don’t stay up past 10:30 p.m.. Being exposed to blue light which comes from phones before bed can prevent you from falling asleep. Kidshealth.org also said, “electronics should not be used an hour before bed.”
“Sometimes in my morning classes I feel tired and start to miss parts of what we’re learning and fall behind,” said Marist sophmore Charlie Genaro.
Not getting enough sleep can lead to students being tired during class and falling behind.
Arguably the most important week for students is finals week. With finals upon us, getting eight hours of sleep has never been more important. Studying for finals while also getting enough sleep can be challenging for some students. Spreading out the subjects being studied to an hour or hour and a half a night can help students understand the material and still have time to rest for their exams.
In the survey, 90% of the students polled responded that they play a sport. Playing a sport and also having to do homework can also keep people up late. Sophomore Dan Mahoney said, “It can be challenging sometimes trying to play sports and completing homework, but it also helps with time management skills.” Learning to manage time well can be very important for sleep. For instance, using free time during the school day is a great way to get homework done.
Marist students have the luxury of having a late start on Thursdays. 90% of the polled students said that the late starts help with sleep. The new schedule was implemented to give teachers extra time to plan and meet with other teachers but has also recieved positive feedback from students.
“It’s been very helpful, it gives me more time to do homework or get extra sleep,” said sophomore J.P Gainer.
