All of us can agree that 2020 has not been the most relaxing year. Many stressful, heartbreaking, life-changing events have occurred, and it is challenging to keep a positive mindset and maintain good mental wellness. Many individuals have been searching for ways to improve their moods and reduce their stress. Well, simply sleeping can accomplish this – and much more. Getting a good amount of sleep each night and maintaining a healthy sleep schedule are extremely crucial to both physical and mental health, and sleep must be prioritized. 

According to an article titled, “Get Enough Sleep” by health.gov, getting enough sleep allows individuals to get sick less often, and lowers the risk for serious health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. A good night’s sleep causes students to be more alert, think more clearly, and improves one’s memory. This will cause students to perform better in school and at work. Because moods are improved, one will get along better with people. Sleeping reduces stress and allows one to stay at a healthy weight. 

Monica Lunde, a math teacher at Saugus High, expressed, “Sleep is one of the best ways to perform self care because it allows your body a chance to rest and restart. Just like how sometimes you need to restart your phone because it is glitchy, our brain and body needs that restart to0. Sleep allows us to restart our brain and perform our best.”

While staying up late here or there with friends can be reviving, sleep must be prioritized in ones’ daily life. Anxiety, sickness, and being unfocused, are problems that can all be solved by simply sleeping! Doctors claim that most adults need about 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep each night, and teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

Principal Ferry claimed in an  interview that, “There is a new state senate bill that will make high school start at 8:30 so that students can get enough sleep. It will go into effect in two years. Clearly, people are recognizing that sleep is crucial.”

However, healthy sleeping doesn’t just mean that one should get enough hours of it. Students should also keep a regular schedule so they feel rested when they wake up. Studies show that if one goes to sleep at the same time each night and wakes up at the same time each morning, he or she will adjust to the schedule and feel revived when awoken! When the sleep schedule changes, whether it is extended or shortened, individuals will not feel the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

Sleep is obviously significant, but every student has a busy life. From loads of homework each day, to working for hours at a job, students are often forced to stay up late whether they like it or not. Some nights, there’s nothing one can do. Nonetheless, good time management and smart choices can allow students to arrange their schedules so that they can get a good night’s sleep most nights.

“I highly recommend students to watch Social Dilemma on Netflix,” Principal Ferry discussed. “It talks about how apps and social medias find new ways to engage kids and prevent them from falling asleep. If we put our cell phones away, we would have a lot more time to sleep. Also, if students stay organized by using resources such as their binders, a plan in place can protect crucial hours that can be used sleeping. In terms of wellness, sleep is the number one thing.”

Lunde advised that, “The best way to get more sleep is to create a routine to follow, such as having specific times each day for homework, meals, and rest. Also, making sure you let your body wind down properly by turning off any screens before bed, is very important.”

If students replace time browsing on their phones or playing video games with rest, they will feel the amazing benefits of sleeping. By procrastinating less and prioritizing what is important, students can make more time to rest. Instead of feeling stressed, moody, and sick, sleep will allow students to feel refreshed, alert, and healthy.