How Much Sleep Do Menlo Students Survive On? Arts & Lifestyle

by DEVON SCHAEFER

Adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 should sleep for eight to 10 hours every night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, a 2015 study by the CDC revealed that seven out of 10 high schoolers do not meet this requirement. While some Menlo students prioritize a good night of sleep, others stay up late in order to study or complete various assignments. However, not all students are aware of the risks associated with sleep deprivation, like sleep debt.

Sleep expert Dr. Mark Rosekind emphasized that the amount of sleep you need depends on your own needs, and a statistic or number can’t always dictate that. “How much sleep you individually need is actually based on the number of hours a night that allows you to be wide awake and alert throughout the entire day,” Rosekind said.

Children and adolescents who do not get sufficient sleep have a higher risk of long-term health issues, poor mental health and problems with attention and behavior, according to the CDC. “You need to think about sleep as a vital biological need,” Rosekind said. “You need food, water and air to survive. You need sleep to survive. [...] [Sleep] is a secret weapon for you.”

Sleep debt is a phenomenon that occurs when someone does not meet their sleep needs for a prolonged period of time. For example, if a student sleeps six hours a night but needs at least eight hours, then their sleep debt would accumulate to 14 hours after only a week. Sleep debt drags out fatigue and lack of energy from previous nights of sleep. Additionally, it increases the chances of health and behavioral problems. According to Rosekind, it can take several days for an individual to settle out of their sleep debt.

Sophomore Jacqueline Larsen prioritizes a good night’s rest and typically sleeps nine to 10 hours on school nights. Larsen believes that when she doesn’t reach this goal, she faces the repercussions of sleep debt. “If I don’t get [as much] sleep one night, then the next night, even if I get a regular amount of sleep, I still feel tired,” Larsen said.

According to Rosekind, many teens biology working against you,” Rosekind said. “You can’t switch that.” According to Rosekind, it is okay for teenagers to go to bed later, as long as they are able to sleep in the next morning. sleep deprived take a nap between 40 and 45 minutes. A longer nap causes people to go into deep sleep, counteracting these benefits; a person who wakes up from deep sleep might experience a phenomenon called sleep inertia, causing disorientation and drowsiness. Sleep inertia also impairs one’s cognitive and motor performance. not going to really benefit you,” Larsen said. “I think the better option is just to go to bed so you can retain the information you’ve already studied that night.” also find it difficult to go to bed and wake up early, and are instead inclined to late nights and sleeping in. This is caused by an internal clock in the brain, called a circadian clock. A circadian clock tells an individual when they should sleep at night, however, throughout puberty, this clock starts shifting to later and later times. Despite needing eight to 10 hours of sleep, teenage brains want their bodies to go to bed later at night. “It’s your

Rosekind adds that even if someone only has time for a nap shorter than 40 minutes, it is still beneficial and can help reverse sleepiness. If time permits for a long nap, it should be about two hours because it will get the person through a full rapid eye movement cycle, including deep sleep. However, longer length naps should not be closed to one’s bedtime.

Freshman Zoe Zdrodowski does not stay up late and instead goes to bed around 9 p.m. and wakes up at 6:30 a.m. every day. “My mom’s a child sleep therapist, so she’s kind of ingrained in me a routine and early sleep,” Zdrodowski said. “I also find I need a lot of sleep compared to most people.” While her mom has emphasized the importance of sleep to her, she goes to bed early by choice because she feels better the next day. When Zdrowdoski does not achieve her desired amount of sleep, such as at a sleepover with friends, Zdrowdoski faces the repercussions the next day. “I’ll be more cranky or just definitely feel more tired during the day.”

Rosekind is a strong proponent of naps, as they can improve an individual’s performance and alertness. In a study he conducted for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration with the Fatigue Countermeasures Program, Rosekind discovered pilots who took a nap while on shift demonstrated a 34% increase in performance, as well as a 54% improvement in alertness.

Rosekind recommends people who are

While many teens believe the reason they do not get enough sleep is because of too much homework or too many extracurriculars, Rosekind believes that most teenagers’ issue is actually time management more than anything. “The reason people cheat on sleep is that they’re trying to get more hours into the day,” he said. “But you only get 24.” Rosekind recommends teenagers prioritize planning their sleep schedule first, before mapping out other daily obligations.

Larsen agrees that sleep takes priority in her day, and suggests that others try to adopt a similar mindset. “If you’re deciding between studying a few more hours for a test or getting better sleep, honestly, the studying that you’ll do while you’re staying up and while you're tired is

Sophomore Tony Dokanchi gets around five to six hours of sleep on the weeknights and deals with the consequences daily. “Most of the time, I don’t think I’m functioning at full capacity,” he said. Dokanchi often has enough time to get eight or so hours of sleep but struggles to fall asleep in time. He admits that if he had better time management and got his work done earlier, he would be able to sleep more. “I wish I could fall asleep faster, and I wish I could get my work done earlier,” he said. “Part of that is [my] responsibility and my own time management and part of that is things that are unavoidable.”