According to the CDC, “The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.”
As the end of the year approaches, with finals and exams following, students of Powell High School emphasize the importance of sleep. WY-TOPP and ALEKS tests exhaust students, and some voice the need for a proper sleep schedule.
“Having to wake up early is hard for me,” sophomore Alex Watts said. “So waking at seven every day for school, even six, gives me less hours [of sleep] than what I would prefer.”
Students and teachers have expressed exhaustion and lack of sleep, due to how early students and teachers have to arrive at school. Students find the early arrival to school detrimental to their sleep schedule. Children of teachers have brought teachers’ exhaustion to light.
“Especially with finals coming up and she does teach a class that is seniors and juniors, she does get very tired during [this time of] the year,” junior Isabelle Lobingier said. “She does have to get up decently early in the morning.”
Deadlines and finals discourage students and faculty from getting proper sleep, inducing stress for many. Teachers voice exhaustion and highlight their need to sleep.
“I got 4 hours of sleep last night,” culinary teacher Paige Culwell said. “I could just curl up on a couch and go to sleep right now.”
The increase of last-minute work weighs on the shoulders of PHS students, which stresses them tremendously. Students find the increase of work exhausting.
“School is greatly decreasing [my hours of sleep],” sophomore Ashton Anderson said. “With all the homework and stress going on, I do kind of like- not sleep.”
Some students believe that the school and the students should meet halfway, and create goals to try eliminating things that may reduce a students’ sleep, making the responsibility of the student and the school emphasized.
“The school should encourage doing homework before hobbies,” sophomore Kylie Cartier said. “I tend to … get wrapped up in doing art before I do homework. Then, I forget about it, and I go to sleep.”
Students coin ideas and tactics that the school can enforce, or students can use to their benefit regarding sleep. These ideas can help students sleep better and eliminate schoolwide lethargy.
“I think starting school, like even an hour later,” Alex Watts said. “…could greatly impact everyone’s sleep schedule.”
