Sleep can make the difference between a good day or a bad day. Not enough sleep makes for a bad day that can feel like forever, but some people don’t know what the problem is. Stable sleep schedules are highly recommended so students can stay focused. 

With the hybrid schedule, students could sleep as long as they wanted and do their work whenever possible. Now that we are back in school full time, their sleep schedules have to be adjusted. Adjusting their sleep schedule can affect how students do in class because they are not getting enough sleep to get through the day. 

“Maybe 5 hours [of sleep a night],” senior Jasmyne Grindel said. “I’m tired most of the school day because I have to wait till 10:30 p.m. to shower so I’m not actually going to bed till almost 11.” 

Students have to go seven hours a day to sit in class and learn. Trying to learn about something important with not enough sleep can render useless.

“Ideally, students should get eight to ten hours of sleep per night,” nurse Tina Perrin said. “Your brain and body are still growing, which happens while you sleep.” 

Student’s learning is very important and if they can not sleep at night,  they will not develop good sleep habits; it can cause more damage than just sluggishness. 

“Last year, my grades suffered a lot but they haven’t yet this year,” Grindel said. “I’ve been taking a lot more time in school to do my assignments instead of staying up later.” 

Students can make a schedule so they can do their work and go to sleep at a normal time so their grades do not suffer. Making a good schedule or plan can help students get a stable night’s sleep and have good grades because they will have everything done and not have to worry about stuff on their to do list. 

“Not getting enough sleep can make you irritable and make it difficult to focus on your school work,” Perrin said. “Lack of sleep can affect your work ethic. You are tired and do not have the energy or motivation to do your work.” 

They have to be motivated to do any type of work.  With no motivation then no work will be done, which can cause tension in the classroom. Classrooms should be a good environment for students but they should do their part to help keep it that way by sleeping well and coming to school with a ready to learn attitude and less of a time to sleep attitude. 

“I usually have a set thing on my phone that says you’re winding down now and you should probably go to bed soon so waking up will be refreshing,” senior Jocelyn Kroeger said. 

Phones have apps like, Slumber: Fall Asleep, Insomnia, Sleepiest, and Calm can help students fall asleep faster because of what they provide. These can help students wind down and sleep well so when they wake up, they can feel refreshed and ready to learn. 

“Actually [the apps] really do help, it helps my mind keep on schedule so I can get up without worry,” Kroeger said. 

Apps can also track your sleep or even help students sleep better by apps that have music or soothing sounds that are relaxing. Tracking your sleep can help students see where they wake up in the night or how much sleep they get all together. This can help them learn to go to bed earlier or try to relax before winding down to sleep. 

There are also apps that have relaxing music or sounds that can help, or anti-anxiety music to soothe students. Some of these apps have a monthly or yearly subscription or they could use Youtube. Either way, this can help them relax during or before sleep so they can stay asleep for a better tomorrow. 

Sleep is important for students, especially when they are busy with school and possibly work on top of it all. Without a stable sleep schedule, students can feel tired or sluggish and that is no way to learn. Better sleep can make a better environment for all.