Lack of sleep can have significant impacts on the brain, something that high school students are expected to use daily.

School has started up again, forcing students to get back to their sleep schedule for school. But waking up early after staying up late isn’t as easy as it seems.

At a certain age, when kids start reaching puberty, the level of Melatonin starts to regulate alongside their body. This change causes Melatonin to start being released around 11 pm, which changes a person’s sleep patterns and causes them to wake up around 8 am. During the school year, this leaves students feeling drained.

One Freshman says, “I go to bed around 10:00 pm and wake up at 5:30 am. On a scale from 1-10” –1 being barely awake and 10 being wide awake– “I am probably a 6 in the mornings.” This is about 7 ½ hours of sleep a night, half an hour less than the minimum amount of sleep scientists say teens should get.

Another says, “I go to bed at 10:30 pm and get up at 6:25 am. Back-to-school schedules have made me much more tired.” This student gets around 8 hours of sleep every school night. Though they make the cut for preferred sleeping hours, this is still the bare minimum.

Many people would agree that early morning school schedules have made it much more difficult for teens to be awake and alert for 7+ hours of school and after school activities. However, some people disagree, saying Back-To-School schedules have made them a more productive person overall.

Getting up early in the morning helps increase your daily productivity which can affect a multitude of things such as your focus, mood, efficiency, etc.

Ms. Lynch says, “Depending on what time I got, to bed I get anywhere from 6-9 hours of sleep.” She states that getting up early forms a “Routine”, which helps keep her on track with the events of the day.

During the summer there’s no steady routine to follow, causing issues with sleeping through the night and staying alert while awake for both teachers and students. As school starts up it forces teens to get their sleep schedules in check or risk falling asleep in the middle of class. This helps kids keep focused on work for school such as homework, classwork, projects, presentations and many more.

While most students say that waking up early is draining after school, others think it keeps them awake for the challenges while in school.

Whether you think waking up early is good or bad, Back-to-School schedules have had everyone a little off their game. So don’t forget to get to bed on time to get a good night’s rest.