I am what you call a night owl. As a football player for Carmel, a student taking multiple honors and AP courses, and a person involved in many extracurriculars, a good night’s sleep is hard to come across. There are many things in a high schooler’s schedule that take up time like work, studying, athletics, etc. Many CHS students who stay up at night know the feeling when you are fighting to keep your eyes open, as you check your overflowing list of assignments. I know because I’ve been there, multiple times. Some may argue that students who are not getting enough sleep are just procrastinating. But the truth is, I get straight to work from the time I get back from football practice, to the time I finally go to bed. However, this wasn’t the case last year.

It’s been a month since school started, and students are already fighting the urge to stay awake during classes. Last year’s hybrid system allowed students to sleep in on some days. However, due to school being in-person every day, sleep has gotten more scarce. Lecture-driven lessons cause the most problems, and the level of concentration gets worse as the day goes on. I do not believe that the class itself or the teacher is at fault, but rather the minuscule amount of sleep busy students get every night.

This leads to my main point, that CHS should implement nap time. When teachers hear something like this, the first thing they do is roll their eyes. Many students may disagree, and say that it is a far-fetched idea. However, it makes complete sense to people like me who are constantly missing sleep due to busy schedules. 

According to a study at the University of Delaware, just 30-60 minutes of sleep in the school day could improve cognitive functions, without affecting sleep in the evening. The school could take away 7 or 8 minutes from each class period to make a 30 minute period for students to nap. Napping has proven to be beneficial for students to concentrate and absorb more knowledge in a classroom setting. If teachers want their students to get better grades, and listen in class with more attentiveness, nap time will offer a solution.

Workplaces in America like the headquarters at Google and Facebook have nap pods that allow employees to get sleep. Companies set up these nap stations for a reason. Napping improves the employees’ abilities to refocus on the task at hand and refuels their energy.  Many companies are starting to take sleep seriously, and it is time for CHS to step it up. 

It is important to note that CHS has already implemented ways to improve sleep, like the later bus times. However, that isn’t enough for students to get through the day. Students need pit stops during school to recharge their focus. They need something more to counter the lack of sleep they get on a daily basis. Nap time is a viable solution to the problem of sleepy high schoolers, and it is up to the administration to make the decision

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Royce Brown at [email protected]

To view more of Royce Brown’s work, click here.