Catching Some Zzzz’s

Catching Some Zzzz’s
Posted on 10/31/2018
Staff Writer: Zoya Hasan 7th Grade


Sleep. It is neglected more and more by teens all across the world. With hectic schedules and early wake up times, it is almost impossible for teens to get a solid nine hours of sleep, but students who sacrifice their sleep to watch Youtube videos and late night studying can be hurt more than you would expect.

Recent studies have shown that six out of ten middle school students don’t get enough sleep on school nights. Children who do not get enough sleep can be negatively impacted. They have a higher chance of obesity, diabetes, injuries, and poor mental health issues. You might be wondering about the drastic change in their grades or performance in sports. It is probably because of their lack of sleep. Did you know that sleep is food for the brain? Well, if students haven’t been feeding their brain very well lately, I would say to start right now.

Many kids have trouble getting back into a routine after a long break or the weekend. If you have been waiting all week for the weekend to sleep in late, you may be out of luck. If you sleep late and wake up even later, your whole sleep routine will be thrown out of whack. It is important to keep a constant sleep schedule even on weekends.

There are many benefits of sleep many people don’t think about! Just imagine eating fewer calories, being rested for the new day ahead, and being focused and attentive. Even though it is so tempting to stay up all night and play Fortnite or other games, kids should still go to sleep at a reasonable time. A reasonable time for kids is not two in the morning, so kids should use their own judgement and get enough sleep. Middle school students need at least a solid 9 hours of sleep. When kids get home from school, they are exhausted! That’s understandable, but coming home and just watching TV until dinner is not a good idea. Kids should do their homework, exercise, and not watch TV or anything associated with technology two hours before they go to bed. It has been discovered that technology prevents kids from falling asleep easily, so kids should make sure they are not cramming in information for a test the night before. Again, this can cut back on their time to sleep.

Don’t follow this domino effect: A preteen watches TV for 4 hours, eats dinner, gets to bed, and realizes they have a HUGE test the next day. They cram information into their tired brain, wake up late in the morning, skip breakfast, falls asleep in class, forgets about the test, and then wings it. The next day, they get their grade back, and they do not do so well.

Kids are failing tests and are doing poorly in school from lack of sleep. Do you want to fall into this domino effect? It is time to listen to this important advice and get the important sleep that your body needs.
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