Have you noticed the number of students falling asleep in class? If not, you’re probably one of them. From stressful, sleepless nights to hours of homework and extracurricular commitments, students are finding it harder to fall asleep at a reasonable time. Some students have found ways to juggle all the responsibilities put on them each day, while others fail to manage daily anxieties.

Senior Marissa Kovesdi explained that the most integral factor in getting enough sleep each night is  time management. She shared, “I use my study halls wisely and get my work done at school so when I come home I can take a nap.” Julia Kovesdi, sophomore and sister of Marissa, agreed that study halls are helpful to complete assignments. However, Julia brought up the point that underclassmen tend to have fewer study halls than the upperclassmen.

The amount of homework often determines what time a student will get to sleep. Julia stated, “When I’m loaded with homework, I tend to stay up later. Even when I don’t have a lot of homework, I’m used to staying up late and can’t fall asleep.” She explained that she only gets around six hours of sleep each night. Six hours is typical for junior Lily Joyce as well. She believes it is due to the fact that she spends hours on homework every night while also trying to maintain personal relationships with her friends.

The Student Wellness Program at Walsh Jesuit ran a survey that asked students how much sleep they get each night on average. The recommended amount for teenagers is between 8-10 hours, but only 11.31% of students recorded receiving that much sleep each night. Even worse, 57.97% of students responded that they only slept for 6-8 hours each night, while 26.41% said they only received 4-6 hours of sleep.

Lily Joyce pointed out that students involved in extracurriculars are subject to getting even less sleep than others due to the demands of participation that get in the way of homework time. Lily observed, “Playing a sport motivates me to do my homework faster so I can get to sleep earlier, but it’s not always the best quality of work.” Senior Caitlin Drake, a member of the show choir, stated, “Many of us live far away. Finishing practice at nine and then getting home at ten makes it hard to even have motivation to do homework.”

When students don’t receive the proper amount of sleep each night, they tend to fall short on homework, tests, extracurriculars, and even relationships. It is imperative that sleeping habits improve as the rigorous school schedule has picked up.