After getting home from school, Avery Zink, sophomore, immediately starts working on her homework before going to soccer practice. She then gets home about 8:30 p.m., and by 9 p.m., Zink is asleep.
“I always grew up going to bed super early, so I try to go to bed as early as I can,” Zink said.
For Zink, having a consistent sleep schedule is an essential factor for academic success.
“I can definitely tell I focus better when I get more sleep,” Zink said. “When I have to stay up and do extra homework at night, I sometimes struggle to stay locked in.”
Zink said her sleeping habits also help her perform better in soccer, allowing her to be more energetic and ready to support her team.
Other than completing her tasks for the next day as soon as she can, Zink also makes sure to stay off of her phone around the time she plans on going to sleep in order to maintain her routine.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests teenagers should sleep from anywhere between 8 to 10 hours a night. However, the average teenager gets about 7 hours of sleep per night according to the National Sleep Foundation.
McKenna Peters, AP Psychology teacher, said lack of sleep can cause difficulties concentrating, irritability and increased release of stress hormones.
“Lack of sleep makes routine academic tasks such as taking notes and paying attention more difficult, as they are not stressful and require a lot more attention,” Peters said.
In order to get a sufficient amount of sleep, Peters suggested students try to stick to a consistent routine and eliminate screen time and caffeine before bed.
“The lights from devices actually trick our brain into thinking it’s still day time. This prevents the release of melatonin, the body’s hormone that causes us to feel drowsy and starts the sleep process,” Peters said. “Avoiding caffeine after 5 p.m. and setting up a sleep routine where we go on a screen black-out for 30 minutes prior to bed can also vastly improve our ability to go to sleep.”
Peters also said although school is often a major reason students stay up late, many strategies can allow students to get the optimal amount of sleep.
Other than physical effects, Peters said the amount of sleep can also affect mental health, another reason people should value their sleep quality.
“People should understand that not having a good night’s sleep is one of the first steps in us having a ‘bad day’,” Peters said.
SLEEP CYCLE
People cycle through four stages of sleep during the night, said supervisor of Mercy Sleep Medicine Dr. Jonathan Charpentier, registered polysomnography technologist. Polysomnography is a test that monitors sleep habits to determine sleep disorders.
Stages one and two are lighter, more transitional stages when people are still aware of their surroundings and experience thought processes. Stage three is called Delta sleep, or physical sleep, and during this stage growth hormones are produced and metabolism gets restructured. Stage four, also known as Rem sleep, is when the mind creates imagery and dreams.
Dr. Charpentier said stages three and four of the sleep cycle allow people to mentally and physically heal, so when the amount of sleep someone gets starts to decline, they’ll begin to struggle.
“It’s like the phone, we charge it. That’s where we charge,” Dr. Charpentier said.
CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION
Caroline Staley, junior, drinks around 200mg to 400mg of caffeine every day and matches whatever caffeinated drink she has that day to her outfit.
Staley’s caffeine consumption to her getting around 5 hours of sleep every night.
“I’ll get really jittery, and then it won’t stop until about one in the morning, but if I don’t drink caffeine, I’ll be sleeping all day,” Staley said.
Staley said she notices that a lack of sleep has made it harder for her to get her work done.
“I feel so sluggish, and I don’t want to do anything,” Staley said. “I’m super unproductive and unfocused.”
Marissa Waeckerle, human anatomy teacher, said caffeine is an antagonist, meaning it blocks a receptor site on neurons and prevents the neurotransmitters that promote tiredness from binding to the receptor site.
The specific site that gets blocked is the adenosine receptors which promotes feelings of sleep and relaxation, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“It competes for that spot that it would normally bind, so that we don’t get the information trying to tell us that it’s time to go to sleep, or just be really really tired,” Waeckerle said.
Henry Prunty, junior, drinks 600mg of caffeine everyday. Prunty said he prefers energy drinks like C4, Bang Energy and First Form, as they taste the best.
“I probably drink three or four energy drinks a day,” Prunty said. “My record is 11 in one day.”
Due to the amount of caffeine he consumes, Prunty said that he becomes more energized and outgoing during the day.
LACK OF SLEEP
Arush Singh, senior, often stays up past midnight working on assignments for Calc BC and his AP classes. Singh wakes up about 7 a.m. for school every day, which usually causes him to only get about five to six hours of sleep each night.
Singh sees the effects of his sleep cycle during school regarding his attention span.
“I’m usually really tired and can’t focus that well,” Singh said. “Sometimes I fall asleep in class.”
Dawna Barnhart, science teacher, said she can easily tell when students have a lack of sleep.
“Sleep takes over everything. It shuts down your brain,” Barnhart said. “There’s no way students can stay focused if they’re sleepy.”
Sleep deficiency changes activity in parts of the brain correlated with emotional responses and decision making according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A lack of sleep can also impact the immune system’s ability to fight disease, making sleep a crucial player in physical health.
Students and their families are responsible for their sleeping patterns, Barnhart said. Families should make sure to check in and encourage their children to get a sufficient amount of sleep.
“Once you’re here at school, it’s your responsibility to stay awake and get as much out of class as you possibly can,” Barnhart said.
Barnhart advises students to manage their time during the school day wisely in order to avoid unnecessary work after school and give themselves more time to unwind before bed.
“If time is given in class, don’t be on social media or talking with your friends instead,” Barnhart said. “Use that time so there’s less time you have to spend on it at night.”
This story was originally published on Marquette Messenger on May 14, 2025.
