does homework make you lose sleep

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Homework, Sleep, and the Student Brain

At some point, every parent wishes their high school aged student would go to bed earlier as well as find time to pursue their own passions -- or maybe even choose to relax. This thought reemerged as I reread Anna Quindlen's commencement speech, A Short Guide to a Happy Life. The central message of this address, never actually stated, was: "Get a life."

But what prevents students from "getting a life," especially between September and June? One answer is homework.

Favorable Working Conditions

As a history teacher at St. Andrew's Episcopal School and director of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning , I want to be clear that I both give and support the idea of homework. But homework, whether good or bad, takes time and often cuts into each student's sleep, family dinner, or freedom to follow passions outside of school. For too many students, homework is too often about compliance and "not losing points" rather than about learning.

Most schools have a philosophy about homework that is challenged by each parent's experience doing homework "back in the day." Parents' common misconception is that the teachers and schools giving more homework are more challenging and therefore better teachers and schools. This is a false assumption. The amount of homework your son or daughter does each night should not be a source of pride for the quality of a school. In fact, I would suggest a different metric when evaluating your child's homework. Are you able to stay up with your son or daughter until he or she finishes those assignments? If the answer is no, then too much homework is being assigned, and you both need more of the sleep that, according to Daniel T. Willingham , is crucial to memory consolidation.

I have often joked with my students, while teaching the Progressive Movement and rise of unions between the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, that they should consider striking because of how schools violate child labor laws. If school is each student's "job," then students are working hours usually assigned to Washington, DC lawyers (combing the hours of the school day, school-sponsored activities, and homework). This would certainly be a risky strategy for changing how schools and teachers think about homework, but it certainly would gain attention. (If any of my students are reading this, don't try it!)

So how can we change things?

The Scientific Approach

In the study "What Great Homework Looks Like" from the journal Think Differently and Deeply , which connects research in how the brain learns to the instructional practice of teachers, we see moderate advantages of no more than two hours of homework for high school students. For younger students, the correlation is even smaller. Homework does teach other important, non-cognitive skills such as time management, sustained attention, and rule following, but let us not mask that as learning the content and skills that most assignments are supposed to teach.

Homework can be a powerful learning tool -- if designed and assigned correctly. I say "learning," because good homework should be an independent moment for each student or groups of students through virtual collaboration. It should be challenging and engaging enough to allow for deliberate practice of essential content and skills, but not so hard that parents are asked to recall what they learned in high school. All that usually leads to is family stress.

But even when good homework is assigned, it is the student's approach that is critical. A scientific approach to tackling their homework can actually lead to deepened learning in less time. The biggest contributor to the length of a student's homework is task switching. Too often, students jump between their work on an assignment and the lure of social media. But I have found it hard to convince students of the cost associated with such task switching. Imagine a student writing an essay for AP English class or completing math proofs for their honors geometry class. In the middle of the work, their phone announces a new text message. This is a moment of truth for the student. Should they address that text before or after they finish their assignment?

Delayed Gratification

When a student chooses to check their text, respond and then possibly take an extended dive into social media, they lose a percentage of the learning that has already happened. As a result, when they return to the AP essay or honors geometry proof, they need to retrace their learning in order to catch up to where they were. This jump, between homework and social media, is actually extending the time a student spends on an assignment. My colleagues and I coach our students to see social media as a reward for finishing an assignment. Delaying gratification is an important non-cognitive skill and one that research has shown enhances life outcomes (see the Stanford Marshmallow Test ).

At my school, the goal is to reduce the barriers for each student to meet his or her peak potential without lowering the bar. Good, purposeful homework should be part of any student's learning journey. But it takes teachers to design better homework (which can include no homework at all on some nights), parents to not see hours of homework as a measure of school quality, and students to reflect on their current homework strategies while applying new, research-backed ones. Together, we can all get more sleep -- and that, research shows, is very good for all of our brains and for each student's learning.

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Associations of time spent on homework or studying with nocturnal sleep behavior and depression symptoms in adolescents from Singapore

• Sing Chen Yeo, MSc Sing Chen Yeo Affiliations Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore Search for articles by this author
• Jacinda Tan, BSc Jacinda Tan Affiliations Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore Search for articles by this author
• Joshua J. Gooley, PhD Joshua J. Gooley Correspondence Corresponding author: Joshua J. Gooley, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore, 8 College Road, Singapore 117549, Singapore Contact Affiliations Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore Search for articles by this author

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More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests.

A Stanford education researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.   "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .   The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students' views on homework.   Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.   Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.   "The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being," Pope wrote.   Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.   Their study found that too much homework is associated with:   • Greater stress : 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.   • Reductions in health : In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.   • Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits : Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were "not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills," according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.   A balancing act   The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.   Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as "pointless" or "mindless" in order to keep their grades up.   "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points," said Pope, who is also a co-founder of Challenge Success , a nonprofit organization affiliated with the GSE that conducts research and works with schools and parents to improve students' educational experiences..   Pope said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.   "Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development," wrote Pope.   High-performing paradox   In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. "Young people are spending more time alone," they wrote, "which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities."   Student perspectives   The researchers say that while their open-ended or "self-reporting" methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for "typical adolescent complaining" – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.   The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Clifton B. Parker is a writer at the Stanford News Service .

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Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework

A Stanford researcher found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance and even alienation from society. More than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive, according to the study.

Education scholar Denise Pope has found that too much homework has negative effects on student well-being and behavioral engagement. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.

“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good,” wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .

The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students’ views on homework.

Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.

Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.

“The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being,” Pope wrote.

Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.

Their study found that too much homework is associated with:

• Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

• Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

• Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

A balancing act

The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.

Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as “pointless” or “mindless” in order to keep their grades up.

“This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points,” Pope said.

She said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.

“Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development,” wrote Pope.

High-performing paradox

In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. “Young people are spending more time alone,” they wrote, “which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities.”

Student perspectives

The researchers say that while their open-ended or “self-reporting” methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for “typical adolescent complaining” – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.

The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

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Insomnia or lack of sleep may affect your studying efficiency.

BY DAVID GUTIERREZ

College students are busy with classes, homework, social lives, and oftentimes, jobs on top of everything else. That doesn’t leave much time for sleep, so many college students end up getting less than the recommended 7-9 hours per night. Most students average somewhere closer to 6 hours, which is close to the recommended amount, but there’s a significant portion of the college community getting far less sleep than that.

Unfortunately, even an hour of missing sleep per night can add up, negatively impacting your study habits—and your college performance in general.

How Insomnia Affects Your Studies

Missing out on sleep regularly may not seem like a big deal if you’re able to get to class on time and muddle through with the help of caffeine—especially if the other members of your peer group are going through the same experience.

However, lack of sleep can affect your studies in multiple ways:

• Missing sleep—even one night of it—can interfere with your ability to focus. Your brain will have trouble staying on task, which means you’ll drift off in the middle of a lecture, and you’ll find yourself re-reading the same sentence, over and over again while studying on your own. It’s an incredibly inefficient way to study—and a frustrating one at that.
• Tiredness and sleeplessness are also associated with impaired memory, even if you take caffeine to counteract your feelings of exhaustion. That means you’re less likely to remember details you hear, see, or read about, which defeats the entire purpose of studying.
• To a lesser extent, missing out on sleep can impact your mood, which can, in turn, impact your performance in class. If you’re chronically irritable and/or depressed, you may refuse to go to class altogether, or skip out in the middle of a study group because you’re frustrated with the other people.
• Finally, don’t underestimate the impact that missing sleep can have on your health. You’ll be more susceptible to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, and you’ll also be more vulnerable to colds and physical illnesses—which can take you out of school for days.

Identifying the Root Cause

There are many simple, practical tips for getting a better night’s sleep, but chances are, there’s one or more underlying root causes specifically responsible for your lack of sufficient sleep. Identifying and understanding them is the best way to improve your sleep habits.

These are some of the most common:

• Noisy roommates. If your roommates are night owls, they may disturb you while you’re trying to sleep. They may also bother you unintentionally; since stress is a leading cause of snoring, it’s entirely possible that one or more of your roommates could start snoring during their time at college. Either way, you’ll need to have an open conversation about how you can accommodate each other’s needs, potentially including finding a new roommate (in extreme situations).
• Overbooked schedules. You may also have an overbooked schedule, especially if you’re working in addition to being a full-time college student. If you have 17 hours of activities booked in your schedule for the day, that leaves you only 7 hours to get home, decompress, and get to sleep. If this is the case, it may be time to cut some activities.
• Insomnia and stress are highly correlated, so it’s natural to experience sleeplessness in high-stress situations, such as the week before finals. Take precautions to reduce and manage your stress load, such as physically exercising and meditating.
• Misplaced priorities. You may also be losing sleep simply because you haven’t made it a priority. You might prefer staying up late at night with your friends, or attending parties in addition to your already-packed workload. You have to make sleep a priority, or it isn’t going to work.
• Formal sleep disorders. In rare cases, you may be experiencing an inherited sleep disorder, independent of what you’re experiencing at college. It’s worth talking to a doctor to find out.

If you want to perform at your best and study more effectively, you need to get the full amount of the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. That may require making some sacrifices, and rearranging your schedule, but ultimately, you’ll be able to learn more in less time, and you’ll feel happier, healthier, and more energetic. Don’t let something simple, like lack of sleep, prevent you from making the most of your college experience.

David Gutierrez has worked in the field of web design since 2005. Right now he started learning Java in order to get second occupation. His professional interests defined major topics of his articles. David writes about new web design software, recently discovered professional tricks and also monitors the latest updates of the web development.

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Homework or Personal Lives?

Many students get home and the first thing they do is homework. They’re pressured by their parents to do their homework while simultaneously being encouraged to spend time with family, eat, spend time with friends, go outside, participate in sports or other extracurricular activities, and sleep for 7+ hours. Rather than motivating students to master material and learn efficiently, homework negatively impacts students by taking away from personal time that is necessary for them to lead balanced lives.

In an article published by The Washington Post by Gerald K LeTendre, a professor of education in education policy studies at Penn State, states that, “Worldwide, homework is not associated with high national levels of academic achievement.” This means that there is no direct correlation between homework and test grades, and very few studies have been able to prove this, and the ones that have were more of a reach. At Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia,  16 out of 19 of the students in Fire Stream agreed that homework adds extra stress onto them or takes time away from other things that they’re encouraged to do, such as sports, extra classes, extracurricular activities, family time, etc. This means that just over 84% of students in Fire Stream have agreed that homework is added stress and takes time away from things that they’re encouraged to do outside of school. Many students participate in these activities because they’re passionate about them and it makes them happy. Sports and exercise is proven to relieve stress, homework adds stress and if time for this stress reliever is taken away that just means more stress, this can cause more problems in many aspects of their lives.

In an article written by CNN about how homework has been banned in some cities and not others, “What is clear is that parents and kids don't live in the world of academic research; they live in the real world where there are piles of homework on the kitchen table.” Meaning that students don’t have the luxury of just easily saying that homework helps their academic performance or not, and they don’t have the luxury of just not doing homework. That is especially true to highschool students who have to regularly chose between sleep and doing work, especially when they get homework from every class every night and homework can be up to 30% of their grade. Students in every grade get piles of homework and a lot of the time they don’t have resources on hand to see if they’re right or to get help, meaning they might do it wrong and not learn anything at all.  Even if students do try and do their homework it might take a while, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital adolescents should be getting 9 to 9 ½ hours of sleep per night. Due to homework and trying to fit other after school activities in many adolescents don’t get the necessary amount of sleep. Sleep deprivation in teens has many negative effects such as mood changes, being more inclined to engage in risky behavior such as driving fast, drinking, etc, doing worse in school, and declined cognitive abilities.

In an article published by the New York Times, a mother explained how… , “The stress homework places on families starts early.” The article also talks about how homework takes away from family time and family activities. The author also says that her kids “are fighting not just over the homework, but also over their share of my coveted attention and my unique ability to download and print images.” This shows how homework adds extra pressure and can cause tension in families. It takes away from family time and causes more stress on students and parents. It’s almost as if once children start school and the homework starts that it never stops, and that more family time is taken away while more stress is added.

In a study concluded in 2003 by Dr. Harris Cooper he tries to argue that homework has a positive effect on students, but his studies also found no direct correlation between increased homework for students and improved test scores. Cooper himself said that “The analysis also showed that too much homework can be counter-productive for students at all levels.” Meaning that excessive amounts of homework can cause negative effects on students, but who is judging what excessive amounts of homework means? He talks about the “10 minute rule” meaning that every grade that a student increases they should get 10 more minutes of homework, meaning that a second grader should get 20 minutes, and a twelfth grader should get around 2 hours of homework. That would seem ideal, but in most high school settings teachers don’t interact with each other to see how much homework each of them give to equal it out to around 2 hours. This means that one class’s homework could take a student 2 hours alone and that would be what the ideal amount of homework is, so if it takes 2 hours for one class’s homework then how are students supposed to have positive benefits from doing all of their homework? Cooper’s research was also limited because very little research was done to see if student’s race, socioeconomic status, or even their ability levels has an affect on how much homework is “good” for said age range. This means that other aspects than just that they’re students in a certain grade weren’t taken into consideration. These things could cause major changes to the data that was collected.

Rather than encouraging students to master material and learn efficiently, homework negatively impacts students and families by causing more stress and taking away from family time. This is a problem not just for the overworked students, but also for students who have more complex personal lives. Many students work or have family obligations that they have to deal with, but don’t necessarily feel comfortable talking to a teacher about them. Although teachers might not think that the amount of homework that they give matters much,its influence goes beyond giving students work to do at home to how they interact in other important personal aspects of their life.

Works Cited:

LeTendre, Gerald K. “Homework Could Have an Effect on Kids’ Health. Should Schools Ban It?” The Washington Post , WP Company, 2 Sept. 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/02/homework-could-have-an-effect-on-kids-health-should-schools-ban-it/?utm_term=.3ed6d0fa2c72.

Kralovec, Etta. “Should Schools Ban Homework?” CNN , Cable News Network, 5 Sept. 2014, www.cnn.com/2014/09/05/opinion/kralovec-ban-homework/index.html.

Dell'Antonia, Kj. “Homework's Emotional Toll on Students and Families.” The New York Times , The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2014, parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/homeworks-emotional-toll-on-students-and-families/.

“Duke Study: Homework Helps Students Succeed in School, As Long as There Isn't Too Much.” Duke Today , Duke Today, 7 Mar. 2006, today.duke.edu/2006/03/homework.html.

“Sleep in Adolescents (13-18 Years).” Sleep in Adolescents :: Nationwide Children's Hospital , www.nationwidechildrens.org/sleep-in-adolescents

Comments (1)

A question that I have after reading this is in what other ways can we as students improve our learning without homework?

This 2fer has changed my opinion about how much homework affects a student's life in a bad way more than a good way.

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Homework load causes stress and sleep deprivation

Illustration by Raya Shoilekova

Caroline O'Shaughnessy , asst. features editor October 6, 2017

Senior Zack Lehman looks up from his homework, his clock flashes two a.m. and he knows he needs to be at school bright and early the next morning, but he still isn’t finished. This seems to be a common theme among South students; out of 364 people surveyed, 76% of students said they have lost sleep due to the homework load and 72% of students have attended school when sick so they don’t fall behind.

Sophomore Sydney Boland attended school with whiplash and a concussion she received during a soccer game. Boland explained she attended school because she feared she would miss out, something many South students experience, according to the survey results.

“I don’t want to fall behind in my classes and I feel like I would miss something really important when I’m not there,” Boland said.

According to social worker Katherine Paplinski, stress is a real problem in the high school environment, even with the block schedule.

“Homework is definitely a large contributor to stress of students,” Paplinski said. “Although this has decreased since the block schedule, the academic demands of high school are very real and can be difficult to balance, especially when you consider all of the other aspects in a high schooler’s life.”

Lehman believes some teachers seem to understand that if you aren’t at school, there is a valid reason, others are more harsh and expect their homework done.

“One time I was over a toilet throwing up profusely,” Lehman said. “I emailed my teacher and he said that I better have the work done by next class.”

Lehman says that grades are a driving factor for attendance when sick, so much that students end up at school even if they aren’t feeling well.

According to NationWideChildrens.org., growing teenagers should get nine-and-a-half   hours of sleep. Lehman explains he rarely ever gets over five hours of sleep.

“Typically I get home around eight but homework keeps me up until about two—anytime before two is a blessing,” Lehman said.

The question at the end of the day is: do South students choose to finish the assignment or get a few extra hours of much needed shut eye? Sophomore Katherine Schurer, along with many others, believes sleep is more important than homework.

“I don’t think students should be losing a lot of sleep for homework because then that causes them to be tired for the next school day and not focus as well,” Schurer said. “This just causes a chain reaction throughout the week.”

• Caroline O'Shaughnessy

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Sleep Better, Feel Better: Preventing Sleep Deprivation in College Students

Benjamin T. Ladd, BA, The Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, The Miriam Hospital; and Carly M. Goldstein, PhD FAACVPR, The Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University

Though many people struggle to fall or stay asleep, college students are particularly vulnerable to environment-driven sleep deprivation. As many as 60% of undergraduates have poor sleep quality and 25% experience insomnia symptoms.

Decreased sleep increases vulnerability to problematic health behaviors including decreased exercise, poor eating habits, and smoking. Fortunately, you can improve your sleep quality with a few proven strategies.

Preventing Sleep Deprivation as a College Student

Manage nighttime noise..

College students living in communal living spaces face challenges like noisy neighbors. Assertively communicate with others in your space about limiting noise around bedtime. Earplugs, noise-cancelling headphones, a loud fan, or a white noise machine can block out disruptive nighttime sounds. As a last resort, try reaching out to the residential life office at your school.

Keep your surroundings cool and dark. 

The optimal sleep temperature is between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn down your thermostat before bed or open a window. You can also try cooling pillows and bedding. Minimize ambient light in your sleep space by using blackout curtains or a sleep mask.  

Try to address anxiety during the daytime. 

Anxious people sleep less and spend less time in REM sleep, leading to difficulties concentrating, daytime sleepiness, and poor memory. Schedule and plan your many commitments. Engage in meaningful activities that you enjoy, especially ones that are just for fun.

When we are stressed and anxious, we tend to cut out the fun activities first. Fun and joyful activities are central to maintaining your mental health. Similarly, continue to invest in your relationships with family and friends. A strong support network can help you tackle stressful events and get through difficult periods of your life. Remember that the people in your life care about you and want to help.

Try to incorporate exercise into your week and consider therapy. Your university may have resources available for no- or low-cost support. 

Finally, when anxious thoughts run through your head in bed, try writing them down and quickly laying back down to sleep. Get in the habit of telling yourself that you will deal with those issues tomorrow. This can be difficult at first but can be learned with practice. 

Meditate before bedtime.

You can do this on your own or through an app. Individuals who engage in nighttime mindfulness have fewer insomnia symptoms and less anxiety, stress, depression, and daytime fatigue interference and severity. These improvements exceed those when practicing sleep hygiene alone. Consider joining a meditation club at your college to build and support the habit.

Maintain a regular nighttime sleep schedule. 

Try to be in bed at the same time each night and set your alarm for the same time each morning; fight the urge to sleep in! Waking at the same time every morning, even on weekends, establishes a regular sleep rhythm.

Your schedule may vary significantly, posing a challenge for maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. For sleep purposes, it may  hurt your sleep to wake up for class at 7 am one day each week and wake up much later every other day. In this case, try to wake up early every day. Use that morning time to exercise, meditate, do homework, or engage in a meaningful hobby.

Avoid doing homework directly before bedtime. Instead, develop a consistent and short routine before bed that helps you wind down, like reading a book, meditating, or listening to relaxing music. Avoid screens because the blue light waves from the screen may inhibit production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep.

Moderate or reduce alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana, especially around bedtime.  

Alcohol can reduce sleep duration, time spent in REM sleep, and sleep schedule variability. Many college students use marijuana to fall asleep. This often results in reduced time spent in REM sleep causing worse sleep efficiency, daytime sleepiness and dysfunction, and negatively affects academic performance.  

If you use nicotine, avoid nicotine-based substances 4 hours before bedtime. Nicotine has stimulant properties that are associated with sleep disruptions and disorders.

Reduce and be strategic about naps. 

If you nap, aim for 20-30 minutes before 2pm. To fall asleep, your body uses a circadian rhythm (knowing day versus night) and sleep pressure, which builds throughout the day. Napping midday reduces sleep pressure, so nap early enough that your body has time to build up your sleep pressure again before bedtime. Remember that there are alternatives to naps, such as exercise or resting in a quiet place. 

If nothing works after lying in bed for 20 minutes, don’t force the issue. Get out of bed and do a quiet, relaxing screen-free activity, and only return to bed when you can’t resist falling asleep.  

If these strategies don’t work for you, seek out a behavioral sleep medicine specialist (a psychologist who specializes in sleep), a health psychologist, a board-certified sleep medicine doctor, or your primary care provider for more guidance or targeted interventions. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an evidence-based technique used to effectively address sleep-related issues. Evidence-based workbooks are also a great option that can work well such as this option or this one . 

Before that, try 1 or 2 of the above tips and see how it affects your sleep. While some of these habits can be difficult to start, they’re a great way to take charge of your sleep and improve your well-being.

More Articles

How Can Primary Care Teams Address Insomnia in the Context of Persistent Pain?

Insomnia can be caused be a number of medical conditions, including chronic pain. Learn how behavioral health professionals can help treat insomnia without sleep medication.

Insomnia in Older Adults: Tips to Master Sleep as We Age

How we sleep and how we can sleep better changes as we age. Check out these tips for older adults with poor sleep or insomnia.

Helping Kids Get the Sleep They Need

Parents often worry that their children are not getting enough sleep and busy schedules make it hard to prioritize sleep. Luckily, there are many strategies that parents can use to help their kid sleep.

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Put this information right at your fingertips with my book, It’s Never Too Late To Sleep Train

Craig Canapari, MD

Proven advice for better sleep in kids and parents

Too Much Homework, Too Little Sleep: Structural Sleep Deprivation in Teens

posted on October 11, 2012

NOTE: The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended school start times no earlier than 8:30 for teens.  Read more here.

A few years ago, I had a sixteen year old come into sleep clinic for insomnia.  He was a hard-working student in a good school district. I asked him to describe his sleep problems to me. “I finish my homework at midnight every night,” he said, “and I can’t fall asleep by 12:10 AM.” Each of his Advanced Placement classes had 1-2 hours of assigned homework per night and he was not routinely finishing homework until 11 PM or 12 AM. This may be an exaggerated case [and note that the details have been changed a bit to protect patient privacy.] However, let’s do the math.  The typical school day for a high school student in this country is between 6.5-7 hours per day. Most school districts start between 7-8 AM for high school students. Thus, kids are getting out of school between 2-3 PM. Many students do extracurriculars for a few hours after school and cannot start homework until after dinner (say 6:30 PM). The maximum recommended homework for a high school senior is three hours per night ; for younger children, it is ten minutes per grade. If the student goes to sleep at 10 PM and gets up at 6 AM ( a typical wake time around here for high school students), this allows 8 hours of sleep. However, the typical teenager requires between 8.5-9 hours of sleep per night, so even a teen with good sleep habits generally sleep deprived. In Boston, this problem is frequently exaggerated by school choice  where some children are assigned to better schools which are a long bus ride away. (These issues exist elsewhere. My friend Trapper Markelz grew up in Alaska and regularly took 45 minute bus trips twice a day to school.)

In their recent article, “ To Study or to Sleep? The Academic Costs of Extra Studying at the Expense of Sleep “, Cari Gillen-O’Neel and colleagues studied the effects of staying up late on students. They studied 535 kids through high school. The average sleep time for these teens diminished from 7.6 to 6.9 hours of sleep from 9th to 12th grade. When they examined what happened when teens stayed up late to study for finish a project, they found that

Results suggest that regardless of how much a student generally studies each day, if that student sacrifices sleep time to study more than usual, he or she will have more trouble understanding material taught in class and be more likely to struggle on an assignment or test the following day.

Essentially, staying up late to cram tends not to help and actually worsens performance. This emphasizes the importance of encouraging good study habits in kids .

Excessive homework is not the only factor squeezing teenager’s sleep. My friend Lauren Daisley had a great video on CBS Sunday Morning  several weeks ago discussing early school start times. Sleepiness in teenagers is a major public health issue and early school start times contribute to this. To highlight some recent research:

• Short sleep makes children obese .
• A recent study showed that teenagers who did not get enough sleep were more likely to develop insulin resistance , which is the precursor to type 2 diabetes.
• Sleepiness is a significant cause of automobile accidents which is the most common cause of death in teenagers.
• Depression, anxiety, and irritability are all associated with insufficient sleep.

There is a significant body of research showing the benefits of moving school start times later. Demonstrated benefits have included less tardiness and absenteeism, lower levels of depression, and, most significantly, lower levels of car accidents in teenagers . (There are several great summaries here from the National Sleep Foundation , the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , and Psychology Today .)

I also think that there are more abstract benefits to avoiding overscheduling for children and teens. In William Deresiewicz’s 2009 essay, “ Solitude and Leadership ,” he writes about his experience as an admission officer at Yale (full disclosure: my alma mater.) He writes,

Well, it turned out that a student who had six or seven extracurriculars was already in trouble. Because the students who got in—in addition to perfect grades and top scores—usually had 10 or 12. So what I saw around me were great kids who had been trained to be world-class hoop jumpers. Any goal you set them, they could achieve. Any test you gave them, they could pass with flying colors. They were, as one of them put it herself, “excellent sheep.”

He argues, however, that for real leadership and problem solvers, you need people who can think and innovate. And that solitude and time for reflection is critical for developing this faculty. Allowing teens extra time may not even hurt their college admission chances.  I really enjoy the blog Study Hacks by Cal Newport, a computer science professor who been writing since he was a grad student. He wrote a great article (and a book as well) on how working against the conventional wisdom (e.g. doing a few extracurriculars instead of 10-12) can be a winning strategy for a motivated high school student. I highly recommend reading this:  Want to Get into Harvard? Spend More Time Staring at the Clouds: Rethinking the Role of Extracurricular Activities in College Admissions.

Obviously, teenagers are not blameless. Screen time and social media shares some of the blame. But I am most concerned about these structural issues which do not allow enough of a sleep opportunity for kids. These issues are determined at the level of the school district. However, there are some actions that parents can take:

• The US is a relatively  homework intense country  compared to other industrialized countries with higher standardized test scores. Whether your child is in third grade or twelfth, keep an eye on the amount of homework they are receiving. The rule of thumb is ten minutes/grade level. Have a frank discussion with your child’s teachers or principal if it seems excessive. Be aware that excessive homework times can also reflect difficulties like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or learning disabilities.
• School start times are typically addressed at the town or district level. As you can imagine, this is a difficult issue to move at the national or state level. If you are concerned by the school start times in your district, go to school board meetings. Also, get involved with Start School Later , an organization dedicating to addressing this issue.
• Make sure that your child has an age appropriate bedtime allowing for enough sleep (10-11 hours in elementary school, 9-10 hours middle school, 9 hours high school). Limit screen time in the evenings before bedtime.
• Prolonged napping can result in s ignificant difficulty at bedtime.
• Keeping screens out of the bedroom except when absolutely necessary can help avoid sleep problems in kids and teens.
• Going on a “light diet” to limit night time light exposure is important for limiting the impact of late night homework sessions on overall sleep patterns.

It is also important to understand the biology of when you fall asleep. This is comprised of a two part system: a) the homeostatic sleep drive (the longer you are awake, the quicker you fall asleep) and b) the circadian or body clock system which helps keep you awake in the evenings.

For more on the topic of homework vs sleep, here is an article I just wrote on the controversy about the value of homework .

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Need More Help Getting Your Kid to Fall Asleep (and Stay Asleep)?

Reader interactions.

October 17, 2014 at 11:30 am

Hi. I am a ninth grader and I am very stressed about how much work I have. I took an online class for Algebra 2 (which is a class meant for juniors) and almost failed it. I had 1 month to do over 100 assignments. For my first semester, i do not have to take a math class, but when second semester starts, I will have little to no sleep. I wake up at 5:00 and leave for the bus stop at 5:45 to pick me up at 5:55. I live about 15 minutes away from my school, but our school district is dirt cheap,and we load our buses over capacity, which is 65. We fit over 80. My school starts at 7:05. First period is AP World, second is free period, 3rd is AP Bio, 4th is french 2, 5th is Chemistry, 6th is Honors English, and 7th is gym. I already have 5 hours of homework per night and i have golf, football, and choir after school. I get home at 6, and then get ready for drivers ed, from 6:30-8:30, i get home at 8:45 and then start my homework. I get done at about 1:30 every night and i fall asleep at 2. And the cycle repeats. Im dropping gym for algebra 2 in the next semester, which means another hour of homework!

October 17, 2014 at 12:53 pm

JT I am very sympathetic. Something has to give here. You may need to give up an activity to survive.

October 17, 2014 at 12:49 pm

Hi Dr. Canapari I’m a desperate mom!! My son choose 5 Ap classes in his senior year, he is not getting enough sleep and he procrastinate! Please help me I tried to talk to his teacher his counslor to advise him but he doesn’t want to drop any of the Ap classes!! I’m worry that his ego doesn’t let him drop!! Sorry about my bad grammar !! Please I need a helpful answer .. THANK YOU

October 17, 2014 at 12:55 pm

I hear where you are coming up. There is little evidence to support that this level of homework supports learning. I would take this up with the principal of the school and the superintendent of your district.

October 26, 2014 at 11:52 pm

I have to do homework all night 7 days a week. even on holidays. I have to limit myself to only staying up to 2am to finish it.

October 28, 2014 at 9:18 am

John what grade are you in? Where do you go to school?

November 19, 2014 at 8:09 pm

I typically get piled with homework every night and limit myself to going to bed at 2:30am and then having to wake up at 6 to catch the 1 hour long bus ride to the Junior high. I am in 9th grade and live in Woodinville WA but our school is on the other side of the city.

November 19, 2014 at 8:10 pm

That sounds really hard.

December 04, 2014 at 5:27 pm

I always have tons of homework in my AP World History class. On average, I get to bed at 12:30 AM. I have stayed up until 2 AM a couple nights so far this year, and have had a couple lucky nights where I’ve gotten to bed by 11:30 PM. I do homework almost every weekend.

December 10, 2014 at 1:32 am

As a high school junior, I must say that I’m slowly having to start missing at least one day a week to finish all of my homework. Notice that I didn’t say sleep. I have pulled all-nighters and haven’t finished my homework. And let’s just forget about studying. Schools these days aren’t for learning- hell, I’m not learning. Quite frankly, I go to school because I have to. I’m so tired that all I can think about is staying awake. I get maybe 4-5 hours of sleep on a good night. Bad nights are 0. And m grades are dropping. How am I supposed to succeed? My parents do not understand- they think sending me to school rather than letting me stay in is better (it’s not, I go and forget everything I studied for the previous night) And forget procrastination. I have no choice not to- if I can barely get the assignments that are due tomorrow done, how am I supposed to work ahead? My best friend recently died. I somehow managed to fly to England, leaving at 6 pm on Friday, after getting home at three, and coming back 4 am on Monday, to get to her funeral. I barely had time to sleep that weekend- nor was I emotionally stable enough to do homework. Not one of my teachers accepted my excuse of ‘I didn’t have time to sleep and eat and I was hallucinating this morning so I went to bed instead of writing an essay.’ I think I said it nicer. My parents have made it clear that they think this is normal and right… I can’t keep going anymore. I have a continuous headache that never lets up, no matter how much Tylenol I take. I’m not even allowed to drink coffee. Ever. I keep forgetting to eat because I’m so stressed, I have regular nightmares, and I start feeling scared for no apparent reason at random times of the day. I feel like I’m dying slowly. What do I do? I’m also 15 and a junior, and this is all with minimal distraction. I don’t even have a phone, and I don’t use social networking for stuff other than school.

December 15, 2014 at 8:51 pm

@Aurora I’m concerned given the nature of your post. Can you take what you have written and share it with your parents and your pediatrician?

December 10, 2014 at 7:59 pm

Hello! Thank you for your article. It proved to be a great source for a research paper I’m writing about limiting homework. I’m in high school myself, and I had a major problem with not getting enough sleep. Even when I do finish all my homework, it takes me hours to fall asleep! I was recently prescribed a medicine made for depression (which I’m dealing with as well) as a sleep aid. It works wonders! Also, I wanted to add that there’s a small mistake in your article I found while trying to quote you! “…the typical teenager requires between 8.5-9 hours of sleep per night, so even a teen with good sleep habits generally sleep deprived.” There needs to be the word “is” between habits and generally. Thanks again!

December 10, 2014 at 9:11 pm

Oops thank you Kelly.

December 15, 2014 at 4:40 pm

i’m a freshman in high school and I have never been so overwhelmed with work. Most of my cost means complain about how much work they get and how little sleep they get Dave no idea what I go through. I’m taking an AP class and all the honors classes available. I get really goodgrades and am I also play a sport. It’s not like a once a week kind of thing. During the fall, it was every day immediately after school and I didn’t get home until seven at night. but even off-season there is still a big sports commitment. I have hours and hours of homework and usually not get to bed until at least one or two in the morning. I’m not even exaggerating; I promise. I have to get up at 5:20 every morning. I’m breaking down.

December 15, 2014 at 8:57 pm

Dear Lexie. I feel your pain. Please print this article and your comment and share it with your pediatrician and your parents.

February 03, 2015 at 11:38 pm

I’m far late to this article, but your writings concerning sleep deprivation are very interesting to me. I’m currently a junior in high school, and I get up at 5:30 and go to bed anywhere between 12- 2 AM. The drowsiness, inability to focus, and irritability that result from it are very real, and I’ve attempted speaking to school officials and teachers, only to no avail. They all insist that changing their schedule or the amount of homework given would either conflict with the curriculum or be too little for students. It isn’t okay, and the fact that our culture has to glorify teenagers staying up into the early morning that is only mere hours before they wake is ridiculous. This trend started for me when I got into high school, and the most anticipated years of my life have by far been the absolute worst- my motivation is at an all time low, I no longer have time to do anything along the lines of self indulgent that I once did (gaming, seeing friends, heck, even taking a warm bath), and the whole system has little benefit. The very things they intend to achieve with more homework are lost to sleep deprivation that effects school hours performance. I once dreamed of illustrating a webcomic, and doing my artwork for a living, but I no longer have time to practice. I’ve seen a literal decline in my ability, and it’s devastating. I had to give up what I enjoyed to maintain my grades, and now I’ll have to wait until i graduate to get back to the level I was once capable of. I’m firm in the belief that the entire school system has warped into quite a monster, one that is working teenagers into a stupor. There is a lot that needs to change, and much of it could without losing the integrity of the ‘free’ education that is imposed on us. Hopefully one day there will be enough voices to change something. If there are, rest assured I will be one of them. And again, while a little late… I think I’ll attempt that 30 extra minutes of sleep resolution… Thank you for your journals. I’ll be reading more and checking in for certain.

February 22, 2015 at 4:29 pm

Thank you for sharing Lori and I could not agree more. Check out the Cal Newport book above– he would argue that focusing on things (e.g. your art) you love may help you succeed in high school. That being said, once you get out of high school it will get better. Hang in there.

February 05, 2015 at 6:17 pm

I am in IB Diploma Program and my school goes on for 8 hours. Starting from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, which I still have extra curricular activities until 5:00pm. And I always get stressed with the amount of homework I have. So I decided to nap for an hour or so, before starting on my homework because if I don’t, I am unable to think properly. This makes my homework got delayed, so I have to sleep later than I should. Sometimes I don’t sleep at all. It also affects my eating habits and my menstruation cycle. It’s just so dreadful that I got so much stress. I need more sleep.

February 06, 2015 at 7:53 am

Rini you are not alone! In terms of napping, try for a 20 minute nap as this will make you feel better but not make it as hard for you to fall asleep at night.

February 10, 2015 at 1:56 pm

Thanks. It helped me with a debate in class!

May 22, 2015 at 7:01 am

Sometimes I only get my homework done by 2:00am and when that happens I always have to dim my lights low so that my parents don’t find out I’m awake and tell me to go to sleep. I want to sleep but I also want to get my homework done. My teachers say I should be studying half an hour at least for each subject but I don’t think they realise that since students at my school have 5 subjects this mean 2 and a half hours of study with extra homework which could add up to 3 and a half hours. I also have extracurricular activities after school and even during classes. Sometimes I don’t get a chance to have lunch because of school activities or incomplete homework, For music I should be playing for at least 2 hours on different instruments. It’s stressing me out but I don’t know what to do. No one seems to take me serious when I talk about all of this and being stressed. Sometimes I only get four hours of sleep. I’m constantly trying not to fall asleep in class because that’ll get me a detention and then so much more stress. I thought students needed 7 hours of sleep at the most…?

I’m just so confused. Other girls in my school don’t seem to be having this issue at all. A girl I know keeps doing a whole lot of extra homework she wouldn’t need to do, and a friend of mine is in control of a school group and she’s constantly trying to get me to do new things but oh-my-god how is she doing so well in school and not constantly in a panic? I must be doing SOMETHING wrong, and I don’t have any social media accounts (took up too much time), so I shouldn’t have an issue, right?

May 22, 2015 at 6:05 pm

Laelyn there are lots of reasons why you might be having problems, starting with the fact that your sleep deprivation is making it harder for you to stay on top of things. I would encourage you to tell your parents what is going on and ask them to arrange a meeting at your school with your guidance counselor. You shouldn’t have to live this way. Good luck

August 11, 2015 at 6:14 pm

ive been struggling to get to sleep lately i have tried and tried to get to sleep i yawn and i am tierd but just cant get any sleep which is making me really annoyed and frustrated can you please help me soon i dont know what to do to help it do i have imonisia

September 03, 2015 at 8:54 pm

I’m an eighth grade student at a public middle school that starts at 7:13am. I try to fall asleep at 9:30pm since I wake up at 5:30am. During the school day I usually feel fine and not falling asleep in class but once I get home after a while I begin to crash. For example today when I got home at 3pm I felt fine, not significantly tired. But I decided to lay in the sun and after about 2 minutes I fell asleep and woke up 2 hours later. I thought I was getting enough sleep for me since I’ve had the same schedule for 2 years now, but now that I’m beginnning to fall asleep in the evenings and mid afternoons I’m not so sure. What can I do so I don’t feel like going to bed until 8:30-9pm or so naturally?

September 22, 2015 at 11:57 pm

This is a really well written article. I’m suffering greatly from sleep deprivation which resulted today in a five hour nap (against my will). I’m not sure what to do, I’m in my school’s upcoming play which can keep me out very late. I’m in all honors, so my homework load is giant, but I have a problem staying focused. I wish things could be easier. What’s scary is that this is just the beginning of the year, I’m afraid of what my sleep is going to be like once midterms come up…

September 25, 2015 at 3:44 pm

Hi Autumn– as a former drama kid, I definitely sympathize. Certainly, hopefully the play will end soon. I would absolutely encourage you to talk to your parents and your school counselors. Also, check out my article on homework if you have not already.

September 23, 2015 at 2:11 pm

I don’t know about some teens, but i’m 14 in the 9th grade. I got accepted into something called the Early College Academy aka ECA for school which is college courses that i take in school and turn in online too. I have Field Hockey/Soccer practice after school. So I get home at 5:45-6:30pm and then I get some dinner which is like 30 mins and shower which is around 45 mins. Then, I go do my homework for my all honors classes and College classes homework. And everyday I usually go to sleep at 1am-1:30am. In the morning I wake up at 5:45am and I get ready for school. After that I try to get breakfast which is like once a week. And I walk to school. But because of my late sleep i’ve waken up late for about 10 times since school started 4 weeks ago. Thank god I get 10 mins before school starts usually when I get up late and I wouldn’t be counted late. But i’ve been having problems in school trying to stay up since I get about 4 hour ad a half of sleep and I don’t get lunch there all the time its lie twice a week since its disgusting. We also get homework for the weekends which is tons. So that’s how my everyday life started since school started 4 weeks ago. It’s been killing me. Everyone is telling me to quit my activities after school, but I really don’t want to. So I don’t know what to do to have time to get some sleep.

Thanks, Dina 🙂

September 25, 2015 at 3:50 pm

Hi Dina. I totally applaud your ambition. It sounds like this is going to be a difficult schedule to sustain. I would encourage you to talk with your parents and your school counselor. It is better to do a few things well instead of trying to do everything and burning out.

October 15, 2015 at 11:32 pm

I get too much sleep and too much homework. I end up taking a nap at 6 pm and wake up 2 am realising i have just done nothing and have homework to do. Help?

October 18, 2015 at 4:04 pm

Hi Basil. we need to stay out of your bed or on the situation we can fall asleep from 6 PM to 2 AM. I would recommend working at your desk or kitchen table so that you don’t fall asleep for a long period of time. You’d be better off taking a 15 or 20 minute nap immediately after school, provided you can make sure that you wake up shortly afterwards. Good luck.

November 03, 2015 at 11:32 pm

Very interesting article! I discovered this while researching how to manage the amount of sleep I get and still have time for extra curriculurs and homework. To give you an idea of my day, I wake up at 6:00am and then go to school for 7 hours. After school, I participate in clubs/sports. I don’t usually get home until around 6:30. Then I have dinner and start homework around 7:00-7:30. Nearly everyday, I do not finish homework and studying until 12-1:00am, leaving me with 5-6 hours of sleep every day. And here’s the worst part……. I’m only 14 years old!!!!!! Any tips on how to get more sleep and still be able to complete my homework everyday?

November 09, 2015 at 9:42 am

Honestly, there is no way to manufacture more time during the day. I think you need to look and see if the amount of homework you receive is actually appropriate– if not, I would talk to your parents and your guidance counselor.

December 14, 2015 at 7:10 pm

I’m 16, in sixth for currently doing my A Levels, I took textiles, art, photography and health and social care- all three art based subjects I do require me to do an extra 20 hours per 2 weeks and health and social is split up with 3 teacher, which all require me to complete different amounts of essays and cw each month or so. I find this extremely difficult to keep on top of my work. I finish sixth form at 3:20 and don’t get home till about 4, which is when I start doing my work, most days I have 1-2 frees consisting of 1 hour each where I will do some textiles or art as it’s much easier to complete them in sixth form. I try to balance my time out on the weekends also, so if I have a lot to complete for the following week I will just stay in all weekend to get it done. I am very dedicated to the subjects I do so I get all the work done on time, even if that means I don’t go to sleep till early hours in the morning. I’m in sixth form 5 days a week, i get up at 6 each morning and go to sleep around 12-1 most nights depending on the amount of work I need to complete. I have started to realise that when I have 4-5 hours of sleep I Get stressed a lot easier then normal, I get a mild headache and I never have much energy, my weight is about right for my age and height maybe abit under but I just wanted to share this with you as I’m curious to know what the impact of this little sleep will Have on me if I continue in the future.

December 16, 2015 at 10:48 pm

Hi Ella– there are lots of consequences of chronic sleep deprivation (starting with your headache, stress, and low energy). This AAP document is a good place to look if you want to read more.

December 15, 2015 at 11:54 pm

I really enjoyed this article. I thank you so much because my paper was on sleep deprivation and the effect it has on teens. I’m a 13 year old high schooler suffering from depression, sleep deprivation, insomnia, and sleep paralysis. Because of the way my schedule is set up, I normally go to sleep at 4:00am everyday only to wake up at 6:45 every morning. Most nights are often interrupted by just waking up out of the blue. Should I see a doctor? Am I in any immediate danger? Any tips to help? Thanks.

December 16, 2015 at 10:36 pm

I would absolutely recommend that you discuss this with your pediatrician and your parents as it is pretty hard to be healthy on three hours of sleep a night. Best of luck.

January 24, 2016 at 7:56 pm

I am a Junior in High School, and lately (especially over the past month), I have been getting a lot of homework (I’m taking a study break right now). To start it off, I am in as many AP classes as my school offers, and the rest of my classes are Honors. On a typical school day, I get up at 6. Because I go to a private school that is pretty far away from my house, other students on my bus are able to sleep, but I can not sleep on a bus (or in a car for that matter, just something my body doesn’t let me do). On top of that, it’s not like I can do homework on the bus because I get car sick (or in this case bus sick) if I concentrate on anything in front of me. I get to school, and all day, most of my teachers don’t teach me anything. They mainly just go off on tangents, or yell at the kids who won’t give into their crap (excuse my language), and stopped doing their homework at 10 or 11. Because of this we “need to teach ourselves at home.” Now I am the type of person who can do that (In my free time or study breaks, I have been teaching myself computer programming), but I just don’t have the time. While I don’t do many extra curricular activities, I am high ranking in scouts, and have many meeting a week. These meetings are generally around an hour and a half long (although they are usually half an hour away from my house). That isn’t too bad, and shouldn’t really effect my sleep, but my schoolwork does. For example, on Tuesday, I finished my homework at 1:30, and then on Wednesday, I finished my homework at 1:00. Both nights I got home around 3, did homework until 5:30, where I ate dinner, I got ready for my meeting, went to the meeting, and got home around 8:30-9:00. then it was right back to homework and I didn’t finish until the times I just specified. This weekend was even worse (OK, part of it was my own falt for underestimating the time my homework will take, but I did about an hour of homework on Thursday (I had Friday off, and this was where I could’ve done more, and should’ve done more), I did 7 hours of homework on Friday, 3 hours on Saturday (I had multiple meetings, and other things I planned over a month ago), and then today (Sunday), I have done 8 hours so far (as I said, I’m taking a break, but this is only my 3rd break today), and will be lucky if I get to bed before midnight. I don’t know what teachers are thinking when they give us over 20 hours of homework on a 3 day weekend. This wasn’t even the worst weekend either. I camp a lot, and that is from Friday at around 6 until Sunday at around noon. I don’t have time to do homework when I’m camping, and some of those weekends, I’ve had in excess of 15 hours of homework. It seems like the teachers are expecting us to do nothing but school. What really gets me angry is when we take a test, and after a week, the teacher doesn’t have it graded, and their excuse is that they have multiple classes. So what, I have multiple classes also, and a life (no matter how much they don’t want us to have that). To make matters worse, I just applied for a job (hey, I want a car), so I’ll need to stay up even later. Thankfully my parents are very understanding, so if I have a lot of homework the usually will help me with my chores, but there are multiple other people who have it much worse than me. They have sports and games, and a bunch of other things. Just last Wednesday, the kid I was sitting next to me fell asleep (he is in all the same classes as me, but he has more extracurricular activities than me, so the night before he went to bed at 4), but it just shows that they are giving us too much! I spend 6 hours in school every day, and have a 45 minute one way trip to or from school. Add that to my 7 or 8 hours of homework, and you’re looking at 15.5 hours a day dedicated to school. They really need to step up their game, and stop with all of this homework.

So, I will admit that in the beginning of the year, I was getting about 2 hours of homework a night, but the moment the second quarter hit, it was all downhill from there, and I don’t think the teachers will be letting off any time soon. In the 1st quarter, my average was a 98.7. Since then, it has dropped to about a 93. Now, I get headaches almost every day, I am physically and mentally tired, and sometimes consider just quitting all together. In school (and out of school), I find myself loosing concentration, being worried, and anxious all the time, and my reaction time being much slower. All of this I think has to do with sleep deprovision because of school work.

Now, that I have gotten all of that out of my system, I have 1 class that I honestly think is doing OK with homework, and that is math. It’s not like the other classes where they are giving homework to give homework, and no one is learning anything from it, or they are “self teaching”, it is one of those things where it is just to make sure that we remember what we are doing, and it is not like it is that much homework, a max of half an hour a night, and I feel that is reasonable.

Sorry if this didn’t make much sense, I’m really tired from working all day (and am worried about not being able to finish my homework), I tried my best to make you understand my situation.

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Does Too Much Homework Cause Sleep Deprivation?

People say that homework is supposed to help children in school. Homework,however actually can worsen a child’s grades. Homework has many side effects, some of which are dangerous. A clear side effect of too much homework is lack of sleep. Many students do poorly on exams because of sleep deprivation.

Research showed that students did not think homework was useful and regarded homework as a burden. Students felt pressured to do homework instead of visiting family and participating in activities they used to enjoy. According to research, “56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source[of sleep deprivation]. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.”(healthline.com)Ms. Pope; a researcher said that said the “magic number when it comes to homework is 'nothing over two hours' for highs school and 'no more than 90 minutes' in middle school.”(dailymail.co)As the diagram on the left shows, most students surveyed spent one to two hours each night doing homework. At Wilmington High School and other schools in Massachusetts, that was not always the case.

To prove what research says is true there, was an informal study I conducted that proves students spend too much time on homework and do not always get enough sleep. There was a survey given out to various students in different grades. The results were varied, depending on grade and school. The survey was given out to students both at Wilmington High School and other schools and towns. Students from Wilmington High School said that they did not get enough sleep and knew they needed more sleep. Students at Wilmington High School did around two to three hours of homework per night. Most students were still able to do activities, but by doing extra curricular activities students said they were up later doing their homework. Most Wilmington students got six to seven hours of sleep, but studies show that kids should get eight hours of sleep. See table below for more data.

Wilmington High School Time spent on homework Time for activities time spent sleeping 4-5 hours no 6-7 hours 2 ½- 3 ½ hours yes 5 hours 5 hours heavy 3 hours light yes 6-7 hours 3-4 on heavy 1-2 on light yes, but doesn't do a lot of extra curricular activities 5-6 hours need more 1 unless have projects yes 6-7 hours 3 hours yes, can only do one extra thing a day 6-7 hours 2-4 hours yes 5-6 hours 3-5 hours yes 6-9 hours 3-4 hours yes 6-8 hours 3 hours no 5-6 hours 5-6 hours no 5 hours 1-2 hours yes 8 hours

Students from other towns got roughly the same amount of homework as kids from Wilmington High School, which was two to three hours. All of the students said that they had time for activities, but sometimes they had to spend extra time on homework. The students that go to other schools got around six to seven hours of sleep per night. Wilmington High School students and other students from other schools did not differ in terms of  homework, activities, and sleeping. They both spent around two to three hours on homework with time for activities and got around six to seven hours of sleep. See table below for more data.

Other Schools Time spent on homework Time for activities time spent sleeping 2 hours yes 6.5 hours 3-4 hours yes depending on the day, has to spend more time on homework 6-7 hours 1-2 hours sometimes 7-8 hours 1-2 hours yes 8 hours One researcher showed the number of hours spent doing homework and the number of hours spent sleeping.This researcher surveyed sophomores. Most sophomores surveyed did two to under four hours of homework, but some students did have more than that. Four students surveyed had eight or more hours of homework to do. The researcher also surveyed the sophomores on how many hours of sleep they got. More than half of the sophomores got seven or less hours of sleep per night.(see diagram to the right) Another researcher surveyed 102 students. 52 students said that they got five to six hours of sleep on a weeknight. Only one student said that he or she got more than nine hours of sleep. On a weekend 48 students got seven to eight hours of sleep. Students spent the weekend catching up on homework and sleep. The researcher also asked the students what were their reason for giving  up sleep was. 86 out of the 102 students said that it was because they were finishing up homework. 57 students said they lost sleep because they were studying for a test. For more information look at the picture to the right. Teachers give students too much homework. Students do not get enough sleep because they are trying to finish homework or they are studying. Researchers say high school students should get no more than two hours of homework per night. Most students got more than two hours of homework per night and this caused them to lose precious sleep time.

Homework also causes students mental and physical health to deteriorate. Students are putting their health at risk trying to finish homework. “Teens who have more homework than they can handle may become disillusioned with school and may lose the motivation to work hard,” says Gerald LeTendre, head of Penn State’s Education Policy Studies department.( livestrong.com) Research done by Australian researchers clearly suggested that placing too much homework can cause lower grades and even lead pupils to begin suffering from depression.(factualfacts.com) Homework also causes scholars to become less physically active. When teens are not physically active it can lead to obesity and other health related problems.(livestrong.com) Homework affects teens mental and physical health. Homework causes many problems for students. These problems include sleep deprivation, lack of physical activity, and poor mental health. Students should get about two hours of homework and eight hours of sleep. Some of the homework assigned, is found useless by students. Homework would be more beneficial if the homework assigned was usefull.

For my english class I had to write a muckraking essay. I choose to do mine on Homework and It's effects;mostly sleep deprivation. 

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Sleep Deprivation Is Slowing Your Metabolism. Here's What to Do About It

You're not dreaming -- sleep loss can affect your weight. These tips can help.

If you're reaching for snacks more than usual and you can't quite work up the energy to go for a walk, a slowing metabolism could be at fault. And if you're tossing and turning at night? Well, those two things could be related. 

March is Sleep Awareness Month, but it's always a good time to consider whether you're getting enough rest. Lack of sleep can not only make you feel groggy and slow down your reaction times but can also affect your body on a cellular level. If you experience chronic sleep loss, you may experience a slower metabolism and increased hunger. Luckily, there are things you can do about it. 

Read more : Can Tech Help You Sleep Better? This Is My 3-Week Quest for Answers

The connection between sleep and metabolism 

While losing a few hours of sleep once a week isn't likely to affect your long-term metabolic rate, some research suggests that sleep and metabolism are interconnected. Losing sleep can affect your glucose metabolism, which affects how your body breaks down sugars and also changes the way your body metabolizes fats. 

What is metabolism?

As Harvard Health Publishing explains, metabolism refers to the process by which your body expends energy and burns calories around the clock. This essential operation helps your body do everything from breaking down food to breathing and repairing cells. While your metabolic rate is largely determined by genes, natural processes like aging can affect it, as well as variables such as sleep and level of activity. 

Does sleeping speed up metabolism?

When you're asleep, your metabolism slows by about 15% . Conversely, if you don't get enough sleep, your waking metabolism may slow. For most adults, the sweet spot is between 7 and 9 hours of sleep nightly to get adequate rest and keep your metabolism at its baseline. 

In addition to getting enough sleep, working out and eating well may give your metabolism a boost. Keep in mind that it's common for metabolism rates to decline with age. 

Effects of sleep deprivation on your metabolism

Multiple systems in your body may be impacted by sleep deprivation.  Research conducted at Penn State found that restricting sleep for 10 days could begin to affect the way your body metabolizes fats. Another study published in the Science Advances journal found that acute sleep loss results in genome-wide DNA changes, including metabolite levels. The National Library of Medicine says that losing sleep may alter your glucose metabolism and other hormones in your body that regulate how quickly you burn energy.

Other effects of sleep deprivation may include:

• Appetite disregulation
• Lower energy expenditure
• Insulin resistance
• Inability to concentrate
• Impaired memory

Can too much sleep cause weight gain?

Since our metabolic rate slows when we sleep, and we're not burning a lot of calories while we slumber , it is possible for too much sleep to cause weight gain. Increased activity helps you burn calories and may allow you to maintain a better baseline metabolism. 

5 tips for improving sleep quality

 If you're struggling with good sleep, making lifestyle changes  is a good place to start. The following tips may be enough to encourage more rest and avoid negative changes to your metabolism. 

Wake up and go to bed at the same time

Sleep consistency may help you get better sleep because it encourages a more reliable circadian rhythm . This process is a natural body clock that runs on a 24-hour cycle and tells you when to be alert and when to get sleepy. Irregular sleep times may disrupt your rhythm and confuse your body about when it's supposed to get tired. 

Block out light

Darkness can also encourage your circadian rhythm to stay regular. Light sends the signal to your brain that it's time to be alert, while darkness tells it to rest. Try a sleep mask or blackout curtains in your bedroom if you're having a hard time getting to sleep. Looking at smartphones and other screens right before bed may also prohibit good sleep, so put them away an hour before you plan to sleep. 

Try natural sleep aids 

You may also benefit from natural sleep aids that can be purchased over the counter. This includes melatonin, which is a compound that naturally occurs in the brain when it's time to sleep but can be supplemented in pill form. You may also want to try drinking herbal tea or using an essential oil diffuser to get relaxed before bedtime. 

Maintain good sleep hygiene

Keeping your bed sheets , pillows, and blankets clean may also promote good sleep. Make sure your bedding is comfortable, and your mattress is supportive, and make sure your nightstand is in order. These small changes can encourage your body to relax when you lie down to sleep. 

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed

Caffeine, alcohol and even big meals can mess with your ability to fall asleep quickly. Try to eliminate caffeine from your diet later in the day and limit food and alcohol for a few hours before bed. Spicy foods, even in small amounts, may also deprive you of good sleep by causing heartburn. Other foods like whole grains, fruits and nuts may be better foods to eat for sleep .

When to seek a doctor 

Not all sleep issues can be remedied with lifestyle changes. There are times when it could benefit you to seek a doctor's opinion. Keep the following in mind:

Getting more sleep may not be a good weight loss plan. Often, the most effective way to lose weight is highly personalized and includes more than improving your sleep schedule. If you are struggling with weight loss, consider contacting a dietician or medical doctor. 

Sleep deprivation might be caused by a sleeping disorder. Do you struggle to sleep once in a while, or is the problem more chronic, lasting for weeks or months? If your loss of sleep is a long-term problem, it's wise to get a medical opinion. 

Negative side effects may need to be treated professionally. If you're not getting enough sleep, you could start to experience chronic fatigue, lack of concentration, or other symptoms that affect your everyday life. If you find that your regular sleep deprivation is affecting your ability to function day-to-day, talk to a doctor. 

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