Over the past 10 years, students have been getting increasingly less sleep. Around 72 percent of students no longer get the proper amount of rest daily. However, people can improve their energy levels and sleep schedule. There are many reasons that someone might be getting more fatigued, and there are many ways that someone can lessen their overall exhaustion. (Information from Center of Disease control and prevention (CDC), Healthy Schools, “Sleep and Health”)
Low energy is an ongoing problem that impacts a person’s potential to intake and present information by hindering their attention span and overall focus. Health teacher Kristian Ines said, “I believe there is a sort of domino effect at play… for example, if teachers lack energy, then the students will also lack energy.” So, lack of energy or enthusiasm in an environment can also affect the exhaustion in others. In a school environment exhaustion can be especially prevalent, it can be the cause of a student’s low grades or lack of understanding.
Sleep deprivation contributes to overall tiredness. It can lead to health issues and an overall lack of focus which can make someone more prone to mistakes and accidents. Ines said, “When our students are stressed or ‘mentally tapped out,’ they are less likely to perform in a way that is desired. It varies from student to student, however, the feeling of being overwhelmed can always take over and lead us to burn out.” Sleep deprivation can also make someone more likely to develop conditions like depression and anxiety, which, in a school environment, can lead to students having a hard time engaging in school activities or work.
There are many ways people can remedy sleep loss. They can make a schedule and make sure to stick to it to manage what they must do throughout the day. They should also ensure to keep healthy habits such as eating healthy and refraining from smoking and/or vaping as the nicotine in both items can greatly impact their ability to get a good night’s sleep. They can also set less alarms, which may sound redundant. However, if people train their body to wake up to one or two alarms they don’t have to miss out on the extra few minutes of sleep, which can leave them feeling much less tired despite the smaller increase in sleep.
