To query the time required for a high school student to go to bed depends on the type of school. In regards to this, boarding schools majorly regulate the bedtime of their students, unlike the Day school where students have to decide when to go to bed. So What Time Do Most High School Students Go To Bed?
All things being equal, the ideal time for high school students to go to bed should be between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m.
Some factors influence the bedtime of high school students.
1. Extracurricular activities;
There are certain activities students tend to engage in aside from their normal academics. These are referred to as extracurricular activities; they include educational clubs, hobbies, sports, etc.
I could recall vividly when I was in high school, I was part and parcel of different educational clubs; science club, press club, and debating club. And I happened to be the supreme overseer of the press club and also the leader of the science club. In the course of running the activities of these clubs, like preparing for topics to deliver, and gathering news to be reported on the assembly ground, tends to alter my bedtime.
2. Academic success;
The target of every high school student is to be at the top of the class, to always be the best. Those students who are very ambitious to get to the top always find it hard to maintain a certain bedtime. In most cases, some don’t sleep for four hours a day, especially during the exam period. When I was in high school, my major target was to take the first position. As a result of this determination, I will have to stay after school to study with some of my like-minded classmates. Many times, I usually return home in the evening, take a short nap and continue to study. And it creates Inconsistency as regards the time I go to bed.
4. Financial Challenge;
Most high school students don’t have a defined sleeping time due to a lack of money. I know about a guy in high school, he used to help his parents in their business venture after school. In addition, he makes footwear and sells it to support his academics. This set of students doesn’t have a specific time to go to bed.
5. School policy;
Some high schools, especially the boarding ones, tend to influence the student’s bedtime. I could remember when I was teaching at a missionary school. The school is structured in such a way that students are meant to go to bed between 12:00 am and 1:00 am. The all-encompassing school activities don’t give students any breathing space at all. And they can only conform to the school’s policy.
6. School Workload;
From a critical point of view, the school workload tends to overwhelm students. This load includes copying of notes, take-home assignments, class presentations, test preparation, etc. All these tend to influence students’ bedtime because they make an effort to meet up and then encroach on their nighttime rest.
Ways of addressing student’s Bedtime
• Students should be able to know their academic strengths so that they won’t set goals that could affect their chosen bedtime.
• School Authorities should prioritize their student’s mental health above every other thing. They should take into account the best possible time for students to go to bed.
• Government and well-to-do individuals should endeavor to provide financial assistance to high school students to enable them to focus on their academics and then set a suitable bedtime.
• Students should be disciplined enough to get things done at the earliest time possible to maintain a suitable bedtime because when the student procrastinates a lot, the school workload will stress them up.
The Advantages of going to bed at a suitable time.
1. It increases concentration;
A sleep-deprived student hardly pays attention in the classroom. Either they might be sleeping in the class or their mind will be wandering around. But when there’s adequate sleep, there will be a high level of focus in the student’s activities.
2. Mental health improvement;
Quality sleep allows students to stay pumped and alert throughout the day. I have observed that the moment I sleep around 9:00 pm till 5:00 am my level of positivity tends to increase, I will be more thoughtful, decisive, productive, and energized all the long. My level of retentive memory usually improves.
3. It helps to reduce unnecessary frustration;
I have observed that the Inconsistency in My sleeping time tends to make me feel anxious and horrified. I easily get angry at people.
Conclusion
In summary, whatever might be the time suitable for high school students to go to bed needs to be put into consideration for the sake of students’ mental health. The purpose is for the overall best of the high school students, that’s the reason why their sleeping time needs to be taken very seriously because “a good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”
