Let’s face it, most high school students run on no sleep. Between homework, sports, part-time jobs, social media, and studying, sleep often ends up on the bottom of our list. But what many of us fail to realize is that lack of sleep isn’t just about being tired in the morning. It affects our memory, mood, focus, and even grades. According to health experts, teens need about 8-10 hours of sleep each night, but most get 6. So why is sleep so important, and what can we do to get more of it?
What Science Says : Sleep +The Teen Brain
- During adolescence, the body’s circadian rhythm (internal clock) shifts such that teens naturally fall asleep later and wake up later. This means that your body naturally wants to fall asleep later at night, around 11 pm or midnight but school starts early in the morning, which doesn’t match your body’s natural schedule.
- A study of over 3,000 teens found those who went to bed earlier, slept longer, and had lower resting heart rates did significantly better in tests like reading, vocabulary, and problem-solving. Even slight difference in sleep time made differences in brain scans
- When researchers restricted sleep to 5 hours per night for a week (against a baseline of 9 hours), teens showed sharp declines in attention, working memory, mood, and even after recovery sleep they still hadn’t bounced back fully.
How Poor Sleep Affects Teens
- When you don’t get enough sleep, it’s harder to pay attention, remember things, and do well on tests. Even being a little bit tired can make it tough to focus in class.
- Teens who don’t sleep enough are more likely to feel stressed, anxious, or depressed. Getting more sleep can help improve your mood and reduce bad feelings.
- Not sleeping enough can raise your chances of getting sick more often, and even being in accidents.
What You Can Do to Sleep Better
We can’t change our school schedule but can take steps to sleep better:
- Stick to a sleep routine: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same times everyday, even on weekends
- Turn screens off early: The blue light from phones and tablets can keep your brain awake longer
- Avoid caffeine & late night snacks: Energy drinks, soda, and junk food make it harder to fall asleep.
Why is Sleep Worth it?
Even just getting an extra 30-60 minutes of sleep each night can make a big difference. It can help you feel better, focus more in school, improve your grades, rely on less on caffeine, and lower stress and depression. Over time, that adds up to better health, stronger performance, and a more balanced life.
