Do you remember back in Kindergarten when you had nap time? It’s crazy that high school students don’t have this privilege. Much research concludes that teens need more sleep for their developing bodies and brains, so why not give them a few extra “Z”s during the almost 8-hour school day? Nap time would benefit classroom performance because high school students would be well-rested for the second half of their classes.
According to kidshealth.org, the average teen needs around eight to ten hours of sleep each night, but there are many factors that decide how much sleep a teen actually gets. After-school activities can make getting to bed early very hard. Sports practices, jobs, and more can keep teens up for hours after they should have been in bed, considering the fact that they still have to eat dinner and do homework after their activities.
When I asked some of my peers whether high schoolers should get nap time, freshman Mia Rowan’s resounding “YES!” echoed the feelings of many.
Senior Kaylee Wiant is a competitive gymnast and school soccer player. She said that late practices and games “affect our sleep schedule a lot. I think we should get nap time.”
A scheduled nap in the middle of the day could make a significant difference in teens’ feelings and performance in school. According to The New York Post, in China there are built-in nap times for adults at work and students at school towards the middle of the day. Maybe American schools should follow this lead just to see what happens.
Many preschoolers and kindergarteners across the country have an allotted time for a nap every day. Yet even though there is a shift in one’s circadian rhythm during adolescence (Johns Hopkins) that a rest at midday would address, high school students are not afforded this luxury.
Teachers have a lot on their plate too. Should they also get nap time? Many teachers believe they should!
What’s your opinion on high school nap time?
