Sleep is the resting stage in which the body is not active, and the mind is not conscious.
Sleep is the natural way your body refreshes itself; it is essential to maintain a healthy state of being, without it your immune system would be negatively impacted, and it won’t just affect your physical health but your mental health as well.
But what happens when you don’t sleep? Sleep deprivation is something many students struggle with, this lack of sleep leaves them with no energy to complete their daily tasks, including their schoolwork. The way the American education system is set up makes it difficult for students to catch up after falling behind, the class always moves forward, but the students continue falling behind. Many students then stay up later and later to complete the work, so they don’t get enough sleep, then they don’t have the energy to complete the next days work, it is a deadly cycle that it is important not to get trapped in, that’s why you have to be proactive with your school work, but you need to prioritize your sleep and physical health as well.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “Participants with more variable bedtimes had a greater chance of receiving a D or lower during the last grading period, compared to those with more consistent bedtimes. Adolescents who went to bed later, got up later or varied the number of hours they slept per night had fewer classes in which they received an A. Adolescents were more likely to be suspended or expelled in the last two years if they got up later, varied the number of hours they slept each night or if they varied the time they went to bed each night.”
This quote discusses a study done to see if students with less reliable sleep schedules would have a worse academic performance than the students that have a consistent sleep schedule, and the study drew a very significant correlation between a students sleep schedule and the quality of their grades.
I know it can be hard to keep up with school work and maintain a healthy sleep schedule, I get sick quite a lot so getting back to on track for school can be hard, I also participate in some extracurricular activities and then having to do homework, tends to keep me up later than I would prefer, making me significantly more tired than I normally would be.

Many students often find themselves struggling to get by whether that be financial burdens or mental health concerns, many people who go to East have some kind of financial burden that affects them, some students get jobs to help their families financial problems, this can be another cause of sleep deprivation, they will want to get longer and longer hours at work to help their families to be more financially stable. Working so much is likely to affect their capabilities at school because they are putting all their focus and energy into their job, so they’ll want to stay up late in order to find time to complete their school assignments. This is just another aspect of why sleep deprivation in students occurs.
Many students put too much on their plate, activity after activity and are not prioritizing their physical and or mental health, this could be them trying to build up a great resume or trying to get the best college scholarship they can, which are both important goals to strive for, but it is important to prioritize yourself and make sure to take time for yourself. Be authentic in how you present yourself, and know that you are always loved, take care.