School Sleep Cycles

1548 Words7 Pages
Today, obtaining proper amounts of sleep is essential for everyday life;, however, the majority of teenagers in the United States fail to achieve this. The chemistry and psychology of sleep revolves heavily around neurotransmitters and cycles (“Sleep” 2). Sleep cycles are crucial for one’s psychology, and they influence one’s abilities and behavior throughout the day (“Sleep” 1). There are two stages in sleep cycles: NREM and REM (“Sleep” 1-2). NREM cycles take place in the first stages of sleep, synchronizing the brain while preparing it for later cycles (“Sleep” 1). In REM cycles, one’s body falls into a deeper sleep, desynchronizing the brain while experiencing dreams (“Sleep 2). Arguably, the most important requirement for these cycles…show more content…
Surprisingly, parents are against the delaying of school start times. Shirley Weber, a member of the San Diego School Board, found that parents were resisting the delay because they were concerned that their schedules would have to be changed in order to accommodate it (“Waking” 1). Parents of students would have to change their work schedules in order to take their children to school, pick up their children from school, and/or accomodate their children at extracurricular activities. Other parents argue that children should just go to bed earlier. When their children are overwhelmed, they think that they should be independent and able to plan by themselves. Andrea Townsend, a high school biology teacher in Columbus, Ohio said, “Homework teaches students time-management skills that will help them the rest of their lives” (“Homework” 6). This shows how teachers are fueling the idea that students are expected to manage their time and get homework done as efficiently as possible. These points may hold weight, but they are not insurmountable. It may be tedious, but parents should change their schedules. Richard Barrerra, a San Diego school board member, stated, "It's so daunting to make this level of change [in regards to the connection between school schedules and parent’s schedules], but we can overcome all these issues and the kids will be better off." (“Waking”…show more content…
Children are overwhelmed with homework. However, most teachers do not give “busy work”. Andrea Townsend, a biology teacher, says, "The vast majority of teachers I know are careful to only assign work that's important for student success. Remember, teachers have to grade all of these assignments—we wouldn't want to spend extra time grading papers that have no value" (“Homework” 7). The problem is not that students have too much work, but that they do not know how to manage it. Schools need to implement a time management classclass in time management, so students can learn how to budget their time, get their work done (in a timely fashion), and get to sleep on time. Too many students are losing sleep due to their inability to complete homework within a reasonable amount of time (“Homework” 2). Activities, like after school sports, result in coming home late. Students have to find a way to get their homework done, after practices or games, in a reasonable time in order to get to sleep. Distractions, like cell phones, make it hard for the student to complete the task at hand without losing focus. This loss of focus translates to a loss in productivity. Students who tend go to bed late due to rushing to finish homework develop high levels of stress, affecting their ability to fall asleep (Dingwell 1). If students cannot sleep, then
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