One of the most important things necessary for a student to succeed is a proper amount of sleep. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), “During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.” Sleep, in its entirety, is the most important practice required for students to not only be successful, but live a healthy life. Without sleep, the body begins to dwindle both mentally and physically; however, that pivotal importance seems to be falling on deaf ears. According to the Child Mind Institute roughly 60-70 percent of teens do not obtain the healthy requirement of sleep. This is not a recent discovery either; according to the Center of Disease Control (CDC) the amount of teens who do not get the regular amount of proper rest has increased gradually since 2009. The real question is, however, what is causing these rising cases of sleep deprivation, and is there a way to circumvent the issue entirely?
As stated previously, sleep is an integral part of a person’s routine, but what does it actually do? Quite a lot, actually! When one rests, their body essentially does a soft reboot. Specifically speaking, after sleeping for a long enough time, the body activates the parasympathetic system: the autonomic nervous system of the body. Essentially, the body runs completely automatically. Any energy is reserved for interior complexities rather than exterior ones. This includes regulating hormones, resetting metabolism, and averaging blood levels. (NHLBI) The body spends a lot of this time making sure everything in the body is ready for when it wakes up 8 hours later.
Of course, one may not properly achieve these 8 hours of sleep. What specific deficits can one expect from an improper time spent resting? The answer is incredibly simple: obesity and stupidity. No, this is no hyperbolic jab at those who may have difficulty gaining proper sleep. Instead, it is a simplified notation of the true effects that can happen to those who lack sleep. According to the NHLBI, “Sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression.” Not to mention, a lack of sleep can hinder the ability to do critical thinking. Subsequently, those who lack sleep may be harming their own academic performance.
Speaking of academics; one of the main causations of sleep deprivation (other than social media) is school itself, kind of. According to the Associated Press, “Today’s students are overscheduled, overworked and stressed out, especially as they get closer to senior year and college applications.” They cite a student named Chase Cole in their article about sleep deprivation. According to AP, Cole was taking an incredible amount of advanced placement and honors classes. In addition, a research article written by Ruiwen Xiong makes intriguing comparisons to high achieving students and the demanding work they are tasked to do. Of course the “school being a causation” point only applies to students who partake in more demanding courses. If only there were methods to help these sleep deprived students catch up on those ambrosial Z’s they have been missing.
On an unrelated note, there are plenty of amazing ways to help people get off their phone and go to bed! According to Harvard Health Publishing, the number one best way to get better sleep is to exercise. Sadly, this means that gamers will never lose their sleep deprivation. Jabs aside, exercise early in the day or right after work/school is a great way to get the body to flush out all the negative energy as well as loosening the body’s joints. Specifically speaking, exercise gives the body a reason to sleep. If the body is worn out, damaged, or physically stressed in any way, melatonin will be developed in surplus near bed time so that your body can take the time to repair all the damaged fibers and tissue it can. So, if sleep is elusive, just exercise!
Sleep is incredibly important. People rely on it to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Of course, getting the perfect amount of sleep every night may not always be feasible, but as long as one puts in the proper effort to rest a solid 7 or 8 hours, they can be expected to rise among their sleepless peers. Not to mention, sleep increases mental health and can stave off depressive thoughts. So, if one truly feels like they are on their last leg, like the world is collapsing around them, they should just go to bed.
