by HOPE KIM
More than 87% of high schoolers do not consistently get a healthy amount of sleep, according to a 2010 study.
Sleep deprivation negatively impacts most teens in the country.
According to the Child Mind Institute, teenagers actually require more hours of sleep than young children, but rarely have time to get a full night of rest.
To combat this growing problem, California legislators passed a law in 2019 restricting public high schools from starting classes earlier than 8:30 a.m.
Chadwick, however, seems stuck in the past, as classes still begin at 7:55 a.m. almost every day of the week. One could easily notice the negative effects of this decision by sitting in on the first class of the day, where students rarely shine in participation and focus compared to their other classes.
Chadwick School facilitates an environment that encourages students to push themselves to succeed to their greatest potential.
It is impossible, however, for students to function at their highest level if they are exhausted. In a 2014 study of sleep deprivation among college students from Dove Medical Press, researchers found a direct correlation between lack of sleep and a lower grade-point average.
The fact that many Chadwick students suffer from sleep deprivation does not only hurt their academic performance, but also their physical and mental well-being.
Many teenagers who get in the habit of an unhealthy sleep schedule experience chronic sleep deprivation that affects their lives for years to come.
A frequent lack of sleep escalates the probability of anxiety and depression, as well as increases the likelihood for a weakened immune system and a variety of heart issues.
At a young age, students learn to put academic and social responsibility over their own health.
According to a recent article by the Child Mind Institute, “We live in a culture that values activity over sleep.”
Of course, students probably do not make an active choice to stay up late on a daily basis, but rather, they feel the need to stay up to complete their homework or other responsibilities due to Chadwick’s high-pressure culture.
To lessen school-related anxiety in students, Chadwick’s administration utilizes programs such as SWELL–a student wellness club–and provides students with the opportunity to speak with a guidance counselor at any time.
In spite of these options, many students still maintain high stress levels.
The Chadwick administration could take one more step in combating this issue by getting rid of the early class start time.
Although it would require moving around other activities during the day, Chadwick can feasibly change the start time.
During the Chadwick school day, students often have hours of unscheduled time, especially if they do not have co-curriculars. Chadwick administration could reorganize the unstructured time in the school schedule to allow students to get more rest.
Some may argue that early school start times help students learn more efficiently, develop better habits by teaching them to start their day early, or allow more time during the school day for activities and sports.
Research, however, has shown that teenagers are less prepared to learn earlier in the morning because high school students go to sleep and wake up later than they did when they were younger, due to a natural hormonal time shift.
The argument that students will develop better habits by waking up earlier ignores the fact that in doing so, students also develop a habit of sleep deprivation.
Student-athletes also suffer from the early start time because teenagers who do not get enough rest become more prone to injury and illness.
If the Chadwick administration were to consider these factors and implement a later start time, it would promote high academic performance and the general well-being of the student body.
The Mainsheet 