Most high schoolers need eight to ten hours of sleep, but few actually get it. Early school start times, homework, extracurriculars, and screen time all cut into sleep. As a result, students often struggle with focus, memory, and mood issues that teachers and the school nurse see every day.
“When you are overtired, it can lead to headaches, falling asleep at your desk, and not being able to really process the choices and answers to questions on a test. So it absolutely affects everything,” said school nurse Mrs. Melissa Petersen.
In the classroom, lack of sleep makes it harder to pay attention, remember what you studied, or even think clearly during a test. It’s not just mental; it can cause physical problems, too, either headaches or zoning out and missing key information.
Sleep doesn’t just affect individual students; it changes the entire classroom atmosphere. When too many people are low on sleep, lessons can be noisy and unfocused or completely dull, with zero participation. Sleep, or the lack of it, truly shapes how the school day feels.
“Sometimes I think if people are tired, they can be louder, and we can actually be a little bit more chaotic because people aren’t focused. But other times it’s like pulling teeth for participation, so it can go either way,” said math teacher Ms. Megan Kriskovich.
According to some teachers, the contrast between morning and afternoon classes reflects shifts in energy levels. In the morning, students are often sluggish and find it hard to engage, while in the afternoon, tiredness leads to restlessness, making focus difficult. Both extremes highlight the significant role sleep plays in how students learn and behave from the first bell to the last.
“I don’t have a first period, but my second period, they’re still waking up and a little quieter. They don’t participate as much unless I call them by name. My seventh and eighth periods are definitely a lot more energetic, and it’s a little harder to keep them focused,” said Ms. Kriskovich.
Junior Vivian Mann agreed, saying, “During my first period, I feel exhausted.”
However, some St. Pius X students say they actually feel more awake in the mornings. Sophomore Margot Reid said she’s usually “excited and ready for the day.”
Still, for many students, running on a small amount of sleep has become normal.
“I’ve had it this way for a long time, and it seems to work,” said sophomore Henry Germann.
For some, a solution to their problem is to put their phone down earlier at night or manage their time more effectively with sports, homework, or other extracurricular activities. Regardless, most students would appreciate a later start time.
“ My ideal school start time would be 9:00 am,” said junior Luke Lorenzo.
In the end, a good night’s sleep can impact every part of the school day. From visits to the nurse to quiet classrooms and tired minds, it’s clear that sleep affects everything from grades to energy in the halls. Getting eight hours might be tough, but even one extra hour could make a big difference for students and their teachers, too.
