LEENA M.

My Experience:

For numerous high school students, obtaining sufficient sleep is often a challenge. While I agree, I do not believe it to be an entirely revolutionary concept. As parts of the world have become increasingly cognizant of the significance of mental health, I believe that more and more adolescents are beginning to recognize the value of obtaining a full night's rest.

In my own experience, I have made an effort to prioritize a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night. However, the importance of sleep extends beyond merely the number of hours we get each night. As teenagers, our bodies are besieged by hormones that can cause disruptions to our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This may lead to difficulties sleeping due to sudden awakenings, the domination of anxiety over our minds, bodily overheating, and a host of other factors, all of which contribute to the fact that the quality of sleep we receive is not always equivalent to its quantity.

Thus, it may be beneficial to consider making adjustments such as delaying the start time of the school day to allow for additional morning sleep or providing additional time for students to consume a nutritious breakfast. I find that delayed openings are particularly advantageous because they allow me to be my best self. Although I strive to obtain seven hours of sleep each night, this is not always possible, even if I am in bed for the requisite amount of time.

However, when there is a delayed opening, I am able to awaken somewhat later when the sun is up, even in the winter when there is barely any light. I can then shower to help awaken my body, meditate and pray to ground myself, dress in appropriate attire, and prepare breakfast and lunch to ensure that I feel satiated throughout the day. These additional hours enable me to arrive at school feeling like a much better version of myself, imbuing me with happiness and energy and allowing me to remain focused because I am neither hungry nor tired.

Therefore, I encourage our school to contemplate making such adjustments, recognizing that it may require some effort to implement, but that anything worthwhile necessitates exertion.

Through my involvement in the Project Citizen, I have gained a much deeper understanding of both others' experiences with sleep and my own. While I have made a conscious effort to prioritize early bedtimes on many days, it is ironic that due to my perfectionistic tendencies and the approaching deadline of this important project, I often find myself working until late hours. Unlike the perspectives I have encountered from staff members and individuals from older generations throughout my time on this project, my late nights are not caused by procrastination. Rather, they result from juggling multiple responsibilities such as my job, various extracurricular activities, launching a nonprofit organization, and maintaining good grades in my honors courses. This project has vividly shown me that one of the reasons many individuals stay up late is because they want to demonstrate their productivity and avoid being perceived as lazy. They witness the effort required to achieve success and strive to live up to that standard, even if it means constantly pushing their limits, ultimately leading to tiredness and moodiness. While this behavior can have negative effects, I believe it exemplifies the dedication our students have towards securing the best possible future for themselves. Moreover, this project has highlighted the possibility of helping our children lead healthy and effective lives without making them feel that striving to perform to the best of their abilities is somehow unfavorable.