Healthy Sleep Habits

With the amount of homework that us students get at the High, getting a sufficient amount of sleep may be a challenge. Studies show that 13-18 year olds should be getting somewhere in between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night. However, the average high school student only gets roughly 7 hours of sleep. Due to homework and other responsibilities it may be hard to get enough sleep every night, so here are some tips to help you get the most out of the sleep you do get. First, you can minimize the amount of time that you are on electronic devices within the hour before you go to bed. Electronic devices emit blue light which can confuse your body’s internal clock. Try powering down your phone and turning off the TV in the time right before you try to go to sleep to prevent this. Another way to sleep better at night is to create a consistent sleep schedule for yourself. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

You should try to reduce the amount of irregular naps you take during the day, as this can mess up your sleep schedule and make it harder to get good sleep at night. Your bedroom environment is also a key factor to getting a good night’s sleep. Before getting into bed, make sure that your room is as dark and quiet as possible. If you live in a busy neighborhood where there is a lot of external noise, maybe try wearing earplugs at night. Additionally, eating late in the evening is not a good habit to have. Getting a “midnight snack” may seem harmless but studies have shown that eating large portions before bed can lead to poor sleep. Most high school students struggle with getting enough sleep every night, but these tips should help you to benefit the most out of whatever amount of sleep you do get.