Sleeping is a way to restore energy, repair cells, and process information. 

According to Jenette Restivo, a contact and growth strategist, a power nap can effectively increase your alertness and focus. “This can significantly benefit a student’s attention span allowing material that is learned to be better retained and applied, rather than forgotten due to mental exhaustion.”

The majority of students in high school experience sleep deprivation due to a variety of reasons. These include academic and social pressures, early  start times, jobs, procrastination etc.

Some may argue that high schools shouldn’t implement nap time because it’s a distraction from active learning.  “Just have school end earlier than implement nap time, it’s inconvenient to sleep in the middle of the day.” Said PBHS student Jose Molino.

On the opposite end, many experts argue that a midday rest is a biological necessity for the developing teenage brain rather than a luxury. “The average teenager has a biological drive to sleep that is delayed by about two hours compared to adults,” explains Dr. Judith Owens, a leading sleep expert. 

Having a proper 8-10 hours of sleep is one of the  most important things a teenager can do regarding their health. Without proper sleep, it can cause a significant array of side effects including increased risk of anxiety/depression, impaired memory and concentration, and poor academic performance.

PBHS student Chelsea Williams said that “Honestly, I’m so burnt out by lunch that I’m not even learning anything. A nap would help me actually stay awake in my last few classes.“It has become common to see students completely drained by the final periods, as the mental exhaustion of back-to-back classes and a long school day finally catches up to everyone

Ultimately, the goal of high school is to help us learn, but that can’t happen if everyone is too tired to function. If schools  want to see better test scores and less burnout, they need to stop looking at nap time as a luxury and start seeing it as a way to help us actually get through the day.