By Hannah Park
We all know that sleep is important. It’s been drummed into us since we were little. Especially during our “young, crucial years,” sleep is essential to growth and development. Without it, we put ourselves at risk of suffering from “obesity, diabetes, injuries, poor mental health and problems with attention and behavior” (“Sleep in Middle and High School Students”).
And then…homework, tests and extracurriculars pop up under our noses like annoying little moles. Once we whack them out of the way, we’ve already lost hours of sweet beauty sleep.
Wait. Schools expect us to get straight A’s, take Advanced Placement classes and get enough sleep? Let’s hear from our fellow Barons to see how they’re holding up.
Photos by Caroline Ngo.
Some responses have been expanded for clarity and context.
“[I get] around seven to eight hours. It’s okay …but [I wish] it could be more. [I lose sleep] because I have to wake up so early for zero period and the amount of homework I have,” junior Dylan Dao said. 
“I[I get] six hours and thirty minutes. I would like more, [but] I’m busy with sports and also [have issues with] time management,” sophomore Ethan Kwong said. 
“Four hours…It’s only working because I have a hybrid fifth period…[and] drink a cup of Thai tea every day. [I have] club events…even on the weekends,” senior Sarah Le said. 
“[I get] six hours. I mean, it’s fine, but more would be better. [I lose sleep due to] homework and I get distracted,” senior Emily Tran said. 
“[I get around] six hours. No, [it’s not working for me]. [I struggle with time management] too and homework,” junior Angela Tran said. 
“[I get] five hours. I would like more sleep. Schoolwork [gets in the way]…[particularly] English,” freshman Olyvia Luu said. 
“Oh…I’m [going to] be exposed. [I get] about five hours. Yeah, I think it’s enough. [I lose sleep due to] procrastination,” sophomore Connor Okawa said. 
“It ranges from four to seven [hours]. [It’s not working]…my time management is bad. I just want to chill, but I have no time, [leading] to procrastination,” junior Sophia Le said. 
“[I get] six or seven. Yes, [it’s working, but] I’d like to have twelve hours of sleep…I just don’t sleep early because I play games…and then I leave homework until 11 o’clock… [so] I sleep at one,” freshman Lynna Tran said.
So, how much sleep should students get? According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep every night.
SURVEY RESULTS
In our recent survey, which gathered 353 total responses, only 7.3% of Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) students slept eight to 10 hours per night on weekdays. The most common sleep times on weekdays were six to seven hours (29.7% of students), followed by five to six hours (21% of students) and seven to eight hours (19.8% of students).
On a more positive note, FVHS students enjoyed significantly more sleep on the weekends. 63% of FVHS students slept eight or more hours per night.
The chief culprits behind loss of sleep were:
- Homework (83.6%)
- Quizzes/Tests (70%)
- Time Management (59.5%)
- Sports (36.8%)
- Early morning activities (ex. Sports, 0 Period) (24.6%)
- Other extracurriculars (18.7%)
- Clubs (13.9%)
- And 10.2% of students responded that they were sleeping enough.
*Multiple options could be selected
Some anonymous respondents chose to add their own responses (under “Other”). Here are some common reasons listed, in no particular order:
- Phone usage
- Classes outside of school (ex. Bible study, Vietnamese class)
- The new bell schedule
- Music/Arts involvement (Marching Band, piano, singing, APA)
- Insomnia
- Social life
- Work/Family Commitments
- Gym
- Scouts
- EVERYTHING
Undeniably, FVHS students need more sleep (and we know it). According to Health.gov, if we could sleep more, we would have healthier immune systems and bodies in general, less stress, clearer thinking, better decision-making and more meaningful relationships.
As illustrated above, there are many obstacles that get in the way of better sleep. Yet getting even 30 more minutes of sleep every day can produce huge results.
Check out these tips to fix your sleep schedule, a little bit at a time.
Sleep well, Barons!
