By Dustin Schwartz

In the morning, almost every student wants to go back to sleep instead of getting to school. This makes most high schoolers drowsy during the first few class periods. This happens because of lack of sleep. Teenagers tend to go to bed around 11 to even 4 in the morning, sometimes studying for tests or finishing homework because of sport activities after school that send them home late. In all honesty I believe that high school students are up late on the internet, playing video games, or watching television. A few hours of missed sleep a night may not seem like a big deal, but it can create a noticeable sleep deficit over time. Therefore, I feel that Village School should have a period like this, where students can have a thirty to forty minute nap to reenergize. I fact, taking naps in school is an amazing idea that all American schools should adopt. And I’m not just saying that as someone who would benefit from them!

As it stands, when a student is caught for sleeping in class the student then spends the rest of the class period trying to keep themself from falling back asleep instead of listening or understanding anything the teacher is trying to explain. In Japan, a certain school focuses on a nap period. At Meizen High School, there is a designated nap time where teachers dim the lights and put on classical music. The school said it saw a large increase in test scores because of the sleep sessions, and other schools are following suit (The Augusta Chronicle).

In a review entitled, “How Much Sleep Do I Need”, published on KidsHealth.org, Mary L. Gavin, MD, gave an explanation, “Experts say that during the teen years, the body’s circadian rhythm (sort of like an internal biological clock) is temporarily reset, telling a person to fall asleep later and wake up later. This change might be due to the fact that the brain hormone melatonin is produced later at night for teens than it is for kids and adults. This can make it harder for teens to fall asleep early.”

Do you think naps would be beneficial? Comment below and let me know what you think.