7 Sleep Habits of Highly Effective Teens

“What’s crazy is going to bed at eight o’clock,” he said, “it seems like it should be normal, but it’s almost impossible to find the time for an actual night’s sleep during the school year.” So rang the words of Galen Hu, senior at Cistercian, noted water polo player, pianist, and all-around extracurricular monger. Galen averages six or seven hours of sleep a night, a number just below the recommended amount for adults, and even further lagging behind that of the suggested number for teens. However, upon further investigation, I quickly discovered that Galen was not a rare case. From an informal poll conducted of the Cistercian seniors and juniors, I concluded that most high school students were getting six hours of sleep a night, and struggling to catch up on weekends. According to a National Sleep Foundation study, less than fifteen percent of American teenagers get more than eight hours of sleep on a standard school night.

When asked how he managed to keep up, Galen responded “Sometimes I just don’t.” From sports to activities to work and not to mention the rigorous course load, it isn’t surprising that most Cistercian students have trouble getting to sleep on time. While Galen commits to many activities and holds fast to his responsibilities, he isn’t alone in over-pursuing extracurriculars. Cistercian students on average involve themselves in two sports and two activities, limiting their in-school free time to lunch and their after school time to the nighttime hours.

So what’s the big deal? Well, according to the same study by the NSF, 63% of teenagers report feeling moderately to severely depressed, and 73% of them reported not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation also causes drops in attention span, ability to listen, and problem solving skills. Galen, and myself, and most other seniors can tell you that we have pulled at least one all-nighter in the last year to finish a paper or project, study for a final, or catch up on school work. Despite the common practice, research has shown that going to bed even for just a few hours greatly improves the brain’s function more so than an extra hour of memorizing chemical formulae would.

So what can you do? I’ve taken the liberty of exploring several sleeping habits and tricks, and reviewed them for our readers.

Coffee

Pros: Wakes you up in the morning, gets you used to the bitter taste that life often has, usually more sugar than actually coffee

Cons: Not a long-term solution, reminds you why you don’t want to be an adult yet, pumpkin spice lattes only available for three months

Effectiveness: 4 Comfort: 2

Sleeping in Class

Pros: Six opportunities a day, can’t be kept up by “just one more” episode on Netflix, guaranteed bedtime stories

Cons: Chance of getting hit by expo marker projectiles, limited lumbar support, only “allowed” by certain teachers

Effectiveness: 3 Comfort: 4

Exercise

Pros: Stimulates mental activity and releases endorphins, feels like you’ve finally accomplished something, chance to hang out with your dog

Cons: Often backfires and tires you out more, difficult to find the time, arguably less fun than watching TV and lying around doing nothing

Effectiveness: 4½ Comfort: No

Midday Naps

Pros: Provides escape from hectic environment, can achieve one REM cycle in under half an hour, gives purpose to senior college area

Cons: Sometimes feel worse than you did before, no bed or pillows, chance of being kicked or tripped over by classmates

Effectiveness: Answers will vary Comfort: 3

Dream Journal

Pros: Allows you to reflect on your sleep and understand your anxieties, develops essential creative writing skills, great conversation starter

Cons: Hard to remember, often difficult to interpret, most dreams better left not recalled or even discussed

Effectiveness: 2 Comfort: Don’t ask Jack Rau about his dreams

Five-Hour Energy

Pros: Goes down too quickly for you to doubt your decision, instant caffeine rush, now available in strawberry

Cons: Must be 18 years or older to purchase, instant caffeine headache, artificial flavoring doesn’t cover up the sadness

Effectiveness: 3½ Comfort: 1

The Uberman Sleep Cycle (6 30-minute naps spaced evenly through day)

Pros: effective as 8 hours of normal cycle, more time to be awake and alone with thoughts, randomly falling asleep great excuse to end conversations

Cons: Tough to transition into, could turn into Fight Club situation, Coach Bruce won’t let you nap during practice

Effectiveness: In theory. Comfort: Unlikely