Sleep. It’s something that’s important for all human beings, but many of us lack this simple requirement. While sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleepwalking are common in people of all ages, high schoolers seem to struggle with sleep deprivation a lot.

According to an article from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) titled Sleep in Middle and High School Students, teenagers from the ages of 13-18 years old should get close to 8-10 hours of sleep every night, but oftentimes it’s hard for teens to get those hours of sleep. “My sleeping schedule is honestly mostly because of school. I have so much homework, and it’s a lot for me to deal with.” said sophomore Becca Straughan.

Ella McCormick, a sophomore at Arvada West, doesn’t think her sleep schedule would be healthy for someone her age. “I probably sleep for about five hours on average overnight, but I nap almost every day for around three hours after school,” said McCormick.

Sophomore Fairn Jones also has an unhealthy sleep schedule. “I would get a lot more sleep if I didn’t get so much homework.”

Straughan agreed, saying her sleep patterns aren’t what they should be. “I always take super long naps when I get home because I stay up so late doing homework. It’s like a cycle.”

According to the CDC, adolescents who don’t get the amount of sleep they need have a higher risk of having both behavioral and health problems. “Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, injuries, poor mental health, and problems with attention and behavior” (CDC).

Getting less sleep than what is necessary for your body to function can seriously be harmful to you. “It does take a toll on me. I feel sick a lot, and I know this isn’t healthy,” said Straughan.

Students say that homework keeps them up at night, but poor time management is also a factor in lack of sleep. Both Straughan and McCormick admitted to taking long naps after school.

According to Teens and Sleep, an article written by the National Sleep Foundation, there are a lot of possible solutions for teenagers to try to get more sleep. Some of the ideas include keeping a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding devices such as phones and computers before bed, and taking strategically placed naps could help improve someone’s sleeping schedule.

“I’m sort of getting used to my lack of sleep now, which definitely isn’t healthy and needs to be changed,” said McCormick.