There always comes a time in a student’s high school career when the dreaded-all-nighter must occur. It could be a big project due the next day, an essay, a presentation, or simply a pile of assignments that take up the rest of your night. However, it is dangerous to fall into a pattern of sleep deprivation, especially as a high school student loaded with extracurriculars, family or work obligations, and schoolwork. Additionally, these obligations are often exacerbated by the natural desire to relax after a long day of school.
Although sleep deprivation is seemingly a simple, convenient method of making up for a lack of time, it can lead to harmful consequences on one’s body. When the body isn’t given the proper time to rest, this lack of sleep can lead to harmful effects on alertness, decision-making, attention, and cognitive performance. It is also hypothesized that not getting enough sleep can negatively affect the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for many essential skills mentioned above, such as working memory, focus, speech, behavior, and creative thinking. This effect on one’s prefrontal cortex can prompt a decline in academic performance. In addition, sleep deprivation can cause microsleeps, which are short periods of sleep, potentially lasting only a few seconds (Alhola and Polo-Kantola). As a result of an all-nighter, students may find themselves taking these micro-naps during school, drifting off in class for short periods of time before suddenly waking up again. Furthermore, sleeplessness can negatively affect physical health, taxing the immune system and potentially resulting in the development of chronic illnesses, including cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases (Garbarino et al.).
Moreover, constantly staying up late can lead to a toxic sleep schedule, leaving students too exhausted to function. This lack of rest results in not getting work done efficiently, prompting them to stay up even later. Senior Arina Maksin notes, “It’s a huge difference [eight hours of sleep versus three hours]. I think the quality of my work goes down severely and then it takes me longer to do things and then that traps me in a cycle of having to stay up because I don’t get my work done since I’m not as productive. It’s a very stressful time.”
As a high school student, balancing assignments and extracurricular activities can be draining. Exploring ways to plan out your work and prioritizing focus and efficiency could help in making sure you get that 8-9 hours of sleep. This could include making a list of what you need to do and using free time during the day to get work done, allowing yourself to relax in the evening. Finding ways to make good use of one’s time is essential, and recognizing the value of being well-rested is important to maintain good academic performance as well as physical and mental health.
Works Cited
Alhola, P., & Polo-Kantola, P. (2007). Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 3(5), 553–567. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s12160203
Garbarino, S., Lanteri, P., Bragazzi, N.L. et al. Role of sleep deprivation in immune-related disease risk and outcomes. Commun Biol 4, 1304 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02825-4
