Seoyeon Kim ‘26
Sleep is fundamental to achieving good health. However, in today’s busy world, many tend to undervalue it, prioritizing school work, social activities, or screen time instead. In reality, sleep deprivation can have far-reaching consequences on both our physical health and cognitive function. According to the CDC, sleep deprivation also increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death. Beyond physical health, sleep also affects our ability to focus, adapt, react, and make decisions, which are all critical for high performance in school and sports and play a pivotal role in college preparation in the long run.
Some factors influencing sleep duration include insomnia, work, family commitment, alcohol or caffeine consumption, smoking or vaping, and even distractions like the temptation to watch Netflix and cultural norms. Many students end up trading off sleep time to balance a packed schedule.
The average teen needs 8 to 10 hours of sleep per 24 hours and the average adult needs 7 or more hours per 24 hours to maintain optimal health and functioning. Yet, many of us fall short of this recommendation. At St. Mark’s, data collected from students shows that the majority sleep for 6–7 hours per night (49 out of 69 students), while a significant number sleep even less, with 4–5 hours reported by 15 students and 0–3 hours by 3 students. Only 12 students reported getting the optimal 8–9 hours of sleep. These numbers highlight the gap between what we need for optimal health and what is actually happening within our community.
Sleep deprivation especially affects regular cognitive function, which includes mental processes like attention, memory, reaction, perception, and decision-making. These processes develop through childhood and adolescence and are crucial for our interaction with our surroundings. Sleep deprivation negatively affects reaction time, hindering quick responses. All in all, chronic sleep deprivation can have long-lasting harm, making it crucial to prioritize sufficient rest.
To prevent sleep deprivation, St. Mark’s has a designated lights-out time for boarding students, reflecting the school’s commitment to cultivating healthy sleeping habits. However, many students struggle to follow it due to the heavy demands of academics, sports, extracurricular activities, and college preparations.
So, how can we as students make improvements?
Cultivating good sleep hygiene is key. Avoid caffeine late in the day or night, minimize screen time before bed to reduce blue light exposure, and create a calm sleep environment. Set a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule—even on weekends, if possible—and try to stick to it. Also, trying to stay in a consistent, rhythmic sleep pattern–sleeping and waking up at the same time daily is significantly crucial.
These solutions seem rather obvious, but we must understand that sacrificing sleep for school work, sports, extracurricular activities, or college prep is counter-intuitive. By consciously deciding to meet sleep requirements, we can gain control over our future. Let’s ensure to give our bodies and minds the rest they need by balancing our work loads and commitments!