Many Mustangs suffer from lack of sleep due to jam-packed class schedules. High schoolers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function optimally, but with school starting at 7:20, it can be hard to squeeze in enough hours of rest. Many of the students at Marriotts Ridge do not go to bed until 11 or 12 because they have to finish homework or study. After falling asleep late, students have to wake up early to get ready for school, so that they are on time, which does not leave enough time for sufficient rest.
“The amount of sleep I get is really bad. I get four hours a night at best. I feel overworked in my classes, especially biology. I can’t sleep until my work is done to keep my grades up, but it’s taking a toll on my ability to be focused during school because I’m tired,” freshman Abbey Wojenski said.
Sleep deprivation can stunt learning and put students at a risk for depression, anxiety and sleep debt. Sleep is crucial because it allows students to reach maximum productivity during school so that they can do their best in class. The student community at Marriotts Ridge is academically-driven, many students value getting their work done over getting adequate sleep.
“I get about six hours of sleep each night but it would benefit me to get more. I never go to sleep until all my work is done, no matter how much it cuts into my sleeping time because I want to get good grades,” junior Sophia Cai said.
A large number of Mustangs are running on four to six hours of sleep per night to get them through the school day, which is unsustainable.
“Between extracurriculars and hanging out with friends, I don’t get the chance to do homework until evening time. I end up staying up way later than I want to ensure that my grades don’t slip and I don’t have to cut out the things I enjoy. On school nights I never get more than five hours of sleep,” senior Ansh Kanchadapu said.
However, not all Mustangs suffer from sleep deprivation. Some students are able to squeeze in enough sleep each night by budgeting their time successfully. A strategy that has worked is putting urgencies like homework before extracurricular activities.
“I get eight hours of sleep, but I still wish I could get more. I don’t feel fully rested and prepared in the morning to finish out the day of school. School work causes me to stay up even when I feel like sleeping, but I’m not willing to let my grades slip for some extra sleep,” freshman Cici Huang said.
While some students scrape by with enough sleep, the majority struggles.
“I’m in bed by 9 o’clock every night so I don’t fall asleep during school. This cuts into the time I spend out with friends and texting them. I get my school work done, but there’s not enough time for me to have fun often,” freshman Allison Freitag said.
High school is a busy time filled with academics, friends and extracurriculars, and it often feels that there are not enough hours in the day to get it all done. As a whole, Mustangs feel like they aren’t getting enough sleep on school nights with jam-packed schedules of academics and extracurriculars.