School, sleep not always perfect bedfellows
Teens should get between 8 and 10 hours sleep. I usually don’t
Gazebo Illustration by Sarah Pyles
Sleeping and school are definitely not companions.
From staying up at night doing homework and waking up early to study, students are not accustomed to getting enough sleep during the school year.
I have been diagnosed with insomnia. I have a difficult time falling asleep. When I finally do, it is a challenge to wake up.
I will spare you the details of all the nights I have to force myself to fall asleep and set countless alarms just to try and wake up the next morning. I don’t sleep as much as the next person.
Teen-agers are supposed to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep to be able to function properly the next day. The problem is most teens just naturally don’t get tired before 11 p.m. Teens have irregular sleeping patterns during the week. They sleep late on the weekends and get up early during the week.
This change in hours of sleep can also result in hurting the quality of a person’s sleep and can make you even more tired during the day. How do you fix this? How do you make yourself tired even if your wide awake?
There are plenty of ways to make yourself fall asleep. I try to sleep with my curtains open. Studies show that sleeping with open curtains and allowing sunlight to come into your room in the morning will help your internal clock to set to the right time and help you wake up easier.
The point at night is to unwind. Having a calm routine at night is a plus. I am one of those students who waits until late at night to start their homework. This can cause the student stress.
Students should get their homework and all the rest of the things they need to do finished before it is close to their time to go to bed. That way, when they have to go to sleep they can rest and not be stressed.
Students should keep all the lights dim, sleep without lights on and make sure there aren’t any bright lights coming from their phones or computers or TV’s.
There are of course other ways to fall asleep, but right now i think i’m getting a little … ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Annika Brooks is a freshman and in her first year on the staff of The Gazebo. She has danced at the Madison Studio for 12 years. She also loves to listen...
