Every day, students get home to a planner full of homework assignments that are due the next day. They stress about this, rush through the pile, and by 10 p.m., they are exhausted and want to get a good night’s sleep. This homework pile is not good enough for the teachers because they rushed through it, and they receive poor grades.
If there were less homework on some days, students would be able to focus more on the smaller amount of homework they have. They would also be able to take part in other extracurricular activities and stay after school for clubs. According to a Stanford University report, 56% of students consider homework a primary source of stress. 43% said studying for a test was the primary stressor, and 33% said that stress came from achieving good grades. Meanwhile, 1% said homework is not a stressor.
The number of students who are not receiving enough sleep has increased since 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Students are expected to stay awake during the school day, but what can they do if they do not get sufficient sleep? Seventy-five to seventy-seven percent of students do not get enough sleep in New York, according to the CDC. This lack of sleep not only affects students’ performance during the day but also affects how they feel about school.
“I think high school is the real danger in terms of sleep deprivation,” said William Dement, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic. Teens are going to sleep later than earlier generations, but when they reach high school, they must wake up earlier. This means they have less sleep time. Most teenagers participate in sports, spending about an hour or two out in the field or inside practicing their favorite sport each day. When they get home to a pile of homework, they know they will not be going to bed early that night.
Poor sleep also affects memory in students. This means they will not be able to study effectively for an exam because they have poor memory retention. They may forget what they studied as soon as they walk into the classroom. Another common consequence, according to Idaho State University, is a lack of focus. This means students will not be able to concentrate properly on their classwork and homework. It also means that they will not be able to retain information effectively.
All teachers want one thing: creativity. Creativity helps students think freely and create unique, innovative answers. When they do not sleep properly, they lose creativity in all the work they do. Teachers do not find the one thing they want, and grades decrease. Another factor affected by sleep is emotions. In school, students feel emotions about all types of things: that one grade that went down, a breakup, or a misunderstanding with a classmate. When they do not sleep well, they become more irritable and anxious. Anxiety can make it hard for them to concentrate on the material they are studying. A growing trend in high school and college is the consumption of coffee or caffeine in general. Caffeine is not ideal for the body and can have side effects if consumed excessively.
The last factor that affects students is physical health. When students, or anyone in general, do not get enough sleep, they have weaker immune systems, making them more vulnerable to illness. A sick day means they will fall behind on their work, and their grades can drop. Illness also affects them physically because they may not be able to move around or feel as they normally would.
In conclusion, sleep is crucial in our daily lives, and homework is one of the main obstacles preventing students from getting a good night’s sleep. Some students suggest starting school later in the day, but this is coordinated strictly by the district, and moving the start time could cause more problems. The most effective solution is to reduce the amount of homework students receive, which would alleviate the sleep issue and make the day easier for both students and teachers.