Cece Hanson

Students are sleep deprived, resulting in dropping grades, missing assignments, and worsened mental health.

Sleep deprivation is a huge contributor to many mental and physical problems in high school students. Students can start to fall behind on their school work, become more agitated, and miss lessons in class because they are so tired. Over time, the constant sleepiness can lead to increased stress and anxiety, further affecting their academic performance.

Phone use is a main factor that negatively affects students’ sleep habits. Many students stay up later at night, using their phone to unwind or scroll through social media, even if they were already up late doing other activities. The excessive phone use, especially before bed, is worse for students’ bodies than during the day. Students’ eyes become tired, resulting in physical problems rather than just mental problems. The habit of staying up late on their phone affects students’ mental and physical health the next day and in the long term. “They [students] are on their phones too late at night, so then they don’t get enough sleep and are tired the next day,” freshman Charlotte Joslin said.

At the end of the school year, the load of work tends to pile up because students struggle to stay motivated as the countdown to summer starts. Teachers start to assign a lot of homework in preparation for finals, which leads to students feeling overwhelmed and needing more time for their mental health. Students tend to lean towards going on social media instead of doing their school work, students then are staying up later finishing their homework. “Definitely social media and homework. Homework is a big one, because teachers assign a ton of homework, but then you also want to have some like mental health time until you go to bed later,” sophomore Mae Breunig said.

Students also feel the effects of sleep deprivation in their academic and athletic performances. The lack of sleep can make it difficult to concentrate in class, retain information, and do their best they can on their assignments. It slows down both physical and mental processes, making students feel foggy, unfocused, and unmotivated. In athletics, the lack of sleep can make them feel slower, weaker, and less coordinated. It doesn’t just affect their body but also their mind. Sleep deprivation slows down their brain function, it can result in slower reaction time, decision making, and overall engagement. When the brain and body are not properly rested, the consequences appear in their academic and athletic performances. “In my sports, I feel a step slower than what I normally would be,” Breunig said.