Does sleep deprivation affect students’ grades? Do school start times cause teens to feel sleepy? Do heavy homework loads cause students to have sleepless nights? Some people may think that sleep deprivation among students is caused by school start times or heavy homework loads, but teenagers also experience a shift in their circadian rhythm, which makes teens naturally feel sleepy later at night, around 11 p.m. Many students also stay up late doing homework, participating in sports, or using their phones.

Common symptoms of sleep deprivation include fatigue, trouble thinking, and trouble remembering. There is also a concept sometimes described as “The Three-Way Tug of War.” It is the struggle of balancing homework, extracurriculars, and screen time while also trying to get enough sleep.

A few students were interviewed to find out whether they think sleep deprivation is caused by late-night homework, scrolling through social media, or sports. Freshman Safia Nahidian pointed to both screen time and extracurricular activities as possible causes. “Sleep deprivation is caused by scrolling on your phone and sports,” she said.

Leonna Hall, a Junior, also connected a lack of sleep to students’ responsibilities outside of the school day. “I think lack of sleep is caused by homework and sports,” she stated.

While students may have different reasons for staying up late, getting enough rest can make a difference in how they feel during the school day. Whenever it’s nighttime, try to get to sleep at a reasonable time and avoid scrolling on social media late into the night to help prevent sleep deprivation.

Sources: Wikipedia; Cleveland Clinic