Many teens have a bad habit of sleeping in class, making it difficult for them to learn. So what are the main reasons for this?

A lot of teens have night shift jobs due to being in school until the afternoon, making it harder for them to get the rest they need. After leaving school and going straight to work, teens are working from 8:30 in the morning for school and up to 10:00 at night for their job, while still having to wake up early. 

Working teens get significantly less sleep on school nights, with some studies showing losses of up to two hours, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

As students lose sleep, it can affect them in the long term, such as losing education time, becoming less active or feeling drowsy and tired all of the time. This can cause students to sleep more and lose count of assignments. Their grades can most likely start slipping. 

Participants with more variable bedtimes had a greater chance of receiving a D or lower during their last grading period, compared to those with more consistent bedtimes. Adolescents who went to bed later,  woke up later or varied the number of hours they slept per night had fewer classes in which they received an A, according to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

There are some other reasons for sleeping in class, as some students are still just too tired even after getting a healthy amount of sleep the night before. The reasons behind this can be from screen time, high levels of stress and anxiety, and even what they eat or drink throughout the day.

There can be many underlying reasons why teens feel so fatigued, including nutrient deficiency, high stress and anxiety levels, hormonal imbalance and other medical conditions, according to Mather Hospital.

Sleeping in class isn’t just a distraction for the student; it’s also a distraction for the teachers. Having to stop teaching nonstop just to wake students up can be upsetting. Teachers can’t teach the information needed for other students, and it can make them lose focus, too but there’s always a number of students who sleep in class just because they’re bored and don’t want to do the work.

There are ways students can help their sleep schedules by turning sleep mode on their phones, setting up a certain amount of screen time per day, getting good amounts of sunlight, and little hints of exercise throughout the day can help rebuild energy. Making sure you go to bed at a reasonable time and gaining that extra energy can keep you going throughout the day.