Having plenty of high-quality sleep at night is important for students. Getting a good night's sleep allows them to stay alert, concentrate better, and have a sharp memory, all of which are vital for carrying out all sorts of school-related activities and getting good grades.
Unfortunately, there are many things in the lives of students that can keep them from enjoying enough sleep per night. Some of them include piles of homework to complete and the stresses that come with trying to perform well inside the classroom.
Adding to their failure to take a long trip to dreamland is the emotional strain of being in their teenage years. It cannot be completely avoided since they are at a stage where they are no longer kids, but they are not yet adults, and it can be a messy time for them.
This is why the importance of students sleeping on time and getting plenty of sleep cannot be stressed enough.
So, what is the best time to sleep for a student?
The students should be asleep by 11 pm to get the recommended minimum amount of sleep for them, which is 8 hours. Waking up at 7 am gives them an hour to prepare for school. To get the maximum amount of sleep, which is 10 hours, students should be asleep by 9 pm.
There are many benefits that sleep has on both mind and body. Unfortunately, many students may not be able to enjoy all or most of those perks as they do not get plenty of sleep per night.
A vicious cycle that can be hard to break may come into being: their challenging lives as students may keep them from falling asleep on time, and not being able to sleep enough may make their everyday lives even more challenging.
Avoid Sleeping More on Weekend
Students may rejoice if they have homework to do over the weekend.
Since they don't have to worry about things such as going to bed, waking up early, and spending the majority of the day in school, they can complete their homework at a time that they feel like they can concentrate more on their studies within the confines of the home. LOL.
On weekends, students do not have to worry about going to school. It doesn't mean, however, that they have no other things to do but their homework.
Grabbing every opportunity to unwind and have fun is a great idea for every student. All work and no play, as they say, makes one a dull boy. If students do not find the time to loosen up as well as engage in enjoyable activities outside the campus, they may get sick and tired of studying.
It doesn't mean, however, that a student no longer needs structure over the weekend.
Besides watching TV, playing video games, and hanging out with their friends, they also have to carry out household chores. Then they also have to do their homework.
The weekend of students can be busy and also stressful at times, but it's all because of different tasks. Completing their homework is usually just a tiny fracture of their activities.
Some students may find sleeping in, or staying in bed in the morning longer than usual, is a great idea. If you think that this can help you make up for the busy school week, better think again.
According to sleep experts, trying to catch up on sleep over the weekend is bad for your health. A study that came out back in 2017 in which scientists said that sleeping in for an hour or two could be bad for the cardiovascular system.
It's true that cardiovascular disease is rare in young students. However, the heart is not the only one at risk for sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Students also need to worry about ruining their body clock, and this can make it difficult for them to sleep and wake up on time the following school week.
In a nutshell, students should do their best to sleep as well as wake up at the same time over the weekend as they would during the week.
Although they have every right and reason to stay up late at night and sleep in the following day, sticking to their normal sleep schedule is good for them.
Go to Sleep Before 11 pm, According to Scientists
People from different age groups require different lengths of sleep. As a general rule of thumb, the younger the person is, the longer that he or she has to spend time in dreamland.
It's because his or her rapidly growing and developing body could use all of the rest and repair that it can get.
Adults, according to scientists, need to have 7 to 9 hours of sleep nightly. Such is important for them to enjoy the pros of getting high-quality sleep and, at the same time, dodge the cons of sleep deprivation.
High school students, who are in their teenage years, need to have 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. On the other hand, it is recommended that college students have 7 to 9 hours of sleep, just like the rest of the adult community.
Over the weekend, it is still a must for young students to enjoy 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night. This is why they should be through having fun with their friends, carrying out household chores, and doing homework by 11 pm.
The importance of students to sleep by 11 pm and wake up 8 to 10 hours later cannot be stressed enough during the school week.
It is good to follow the same sleep schedule even if it's the weekend or a holiday to make sure that they won't mess up their body clock, which could wreak havoc on their sleep habit most especially at the onset of the school week.
Needless to say, students should try to do their homework before they go to sleep. It doesn't matter if it's a school night or a Saturday or Sunday night.
The good news is that, on weekends, they may choose to prioritize tasks that they wish or need to carry out over completing their homework.
Avoid Being a Morning Lark or a Night Owl
Some people are morning larks, and they are the ones that are usually asleep before 11 pm and awake before 8 am.
The majority of the tasks of morning larks are commonly completed before noon strikes. That's because they have tons of energy in the morning.
Unfortunately, their energy levels tend to decrease as the day goes by. And after the sun has set, many morning larks have no more energy, and going to bed early is the only sensible step to take.
Then there are also those who are night owls. Unlike morning larks, they usually sleep past 11 pm and wake up after 8 am. They have more energy in the evening, too, which usually peaks at around 9 pm.
This is why they get to do most of their tasks for the day when other people are getting ready for bed.
Most of the middle and high school classes in the US usually start at 8 am. Students typically spend 6 hours in school.
This does not take into account after-school programs that are aimed at helping students with their academic performance as well as teaching them new skills.
Students who are in lower grades may be in school for a shorter period, while those who are in higher grades may be in school for a longer period.
Early school time can be unfavorable for students who are night owls. That's because they may feel sleepy and weak while inside the campus, and have plenty of energy and concentration once outside the classroom.
Scientists agree that it is a terrible idea to make a night owl a morning lark and vice versa.
According to them, people who force themselves to have different body clocks may suffer from the many complications of sleep deprivation, most of which can cause students to perform poorly in school.
Some of them include sleepiness, weakness, inability to concentrate, and decreased memory. Their mood may be affected, too.
For instance, they may feel depressed and lose interest in studying as well as socializing with their classmates.
The good news is that night owl students need not force themselves to become morning larks. This is especially true if it is possible for them to go to afternoon classes instead of morning ones.
Sadly, not all schools on the planet allow their students to pick schedules that can perfectly go well with their sleep habits. Most night owls, unfortunately, have no other choice but to wake up earlier than their body clocks would prefer on weekdays.
It doesn't come as a surprise why, according to a 2006 National Sleep Foundation poll, more than 87% of high school students in the US are deprived of much-needed sleep.
Sleep 8 to 10 Hours Every Night
The need to carry out school-related tasks does not end when the school bell rings in the afternoon.
Most of the time, students also have to do their homework, review for upcoming exams and prepare for reports or projects at home. This is why most of the time they spend outside the campus is also devoted to studying.
Because of this, students have no choice but to create a daily schedule around their school and school-related tasks.
It means that they will have to engage in fun and exciting activities and hop into bed only after they have completed their homework and other tasks related to school.
With so many chores to pack in a 24-hour period, many students have a difficult time coming up with a schedule that allows them to do everything that they need to do.
Again, getting sufficient amounts of high-quality sleep is of the utmost importance for students. Otherwise, they may perform terribly in school and end up with bad grades.
Since experts recommend having 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night, students should create a schedule that will enable them to obtain plenty of sleep and, at the same time, allow them to complete their school as well as household chores.
It is up to them to create a strategy that is appropriate for them, whether they are morning larks or night owls.
Otherwise, failure to get sufficient amounts of sleep at night may create a domino effect that can have an unfavorable impact on everything, from their social life to school performance.
Just like what was mentioned earlier, night owls tend to have plenty of energy after sunset. This is why it is a good idea for students who sleep and wake up late to complete their homework before hitting the sack.
Morning larks, on the other hand, should do their homework before going to school as they wake up early and have plenty of energy in the morning.
If their school ends early in the afternoon and they have free time as well as some energy and concentration to spare, they may devote time to doing their homework as soon as they get home.
This allows them to spend their morning doing other things, such as preparing for school or partaking in their hobbies.
Include Power Nap in Everyday Routine
Many people, students, and working adults experience a dip in energy levels somewhere early to the middle part of the afternoon. This is accompanied by a feeling of sluggishness, which can make taking a nap enticing.
However, a lot of people complain that they wake up feeling more sluggish and tired instead of being alert and refreshed after a nap.
Because of this, they are unable to accomplish many of the tasks that they should complete before the day ends. For these people, it is evident that taking a nap does more harm than good.
If you feel like you could use an energy boost but, according to previous experiences, taking a nap can leave you feeling even more exhausted, there is a solution: taking a power nap.
Simply put, a power nap is a kind of nap that lasts for only 10 to 15 minutes.
Refrain from thinking that taking a trip to dreamland that quickly won't have benefits. According to people who have tried taking power naps, it is enough to get them going through the rest of the day.
A power nap won't feel you more lethargic and weak like a regular nap does because it does not make you enter deep sleep stages, which can be difficult to get out of.
Upon waking up from a power nap, you will immediately experience the perks that it is known to bring.
For instance, you may find yourself more alert and energetic than before, enabling you to carry out your remaining tasks for the day efficiently. Enjoying a power nap in the afternoon is better than drinking a cup of coffee because it won't leave you wide awake come nighttime.
What's more, a power nap won't give you all sorts of unfavorable symptoms stemming from caffeine intakes, such as heart palpitations, upset stomach, headache, hand tremors, and anxiety.
If you wish to do your homework in the afternoon, but your mind doesn't seem to want to cooperate, take a power nap. Remember to keep it anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes only.
After taking a power nap, you will have the alertness, concentration, and energy necessary to complete your homework.
You may also take a power nap at any other time of the day. For instance, you may take a power nap on the school bus or in the car while on your way to the school if you were unable to get enough sleep the night before.
However, sleep experts confirm that a power nap in the early or middle afternoon tends to provide the most benefits. After giving it a try, feel free to come back to this site and share your experience in the comment section below!
Just Before You Catch Some Shut-Eye
Having a good night's sleep is essential for physical health and mental wellness, too. Young students, such as those in high school, should get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
Older students, such as those in college, need to have 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, just like other adults. Failure to get a good night's sleep may harm their school performance, and this may lead to having bad grades.
Because students have very busy lives, especially during the school week, it's of utmost importance for them to have an effective schedule. Often, they have to build a timetable around their school schedule as well as school-related tasks, such as doing their homework.
It is also a good idea for students to have time to unwind to reduce their stress levels as having too much stress can keep them from falling asleep at night.
Sadly, they may have difficulty adding to their everyday schedule a convenient time for engaging in stress-reducing activities such as listening to music, playing video games, and chatting with friends.
This is when the importance of carefully creating an effective schedule as well as sticking to it comes in.
Photo credit: ©canva.com/nd3000, ©canva.com/Joseph Suria, ©canva.com/demaerre
Feruza is a mom and a blogger. She had a neck pain for 15 years, which made her interested in everything about pillows.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made on our website. If you make a purchase through links from this website, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure.
