Sleep. It’s important, but why don’t we ever get enough of it?

We all know that sleep is crucial for the human body. Yet only 43 percent of University Prep students, according to a study done by the school counselors, are getting the recommended eight to nine hours of sleep every night.

“I experience the effects of lack of sleep in different ways,” junior Jasen Mansfield said. “Sometimes I’m so exhausted that I can’t function properly or I find that I have more energy than ever for one day and crash the next.”

“It’s definitely important that students get the recommended hours of sleep,” counselor Andrea Moore said. “It’s essential for your emotional and physical well-being and your ability to learn and  retain new information.”

Lack of sleep easily affects our bodies with mood changes, inability to focus and other physical consequences.

After only one sleepless night, these effects can be felt for days.

But if less than half of the UPrep student body is getting the amount of sleep they need, then what is the other time being used for?

Student lives are filled with sports, assignments, extracurriculars and stress, all of which can be overwhelming. By the time you get home from your daily activities, it can feel like the day has run out, even when there is so much more that needs to be done.

“In conversations, when people indicate why they don’t sleep enough, we often find it’s due to competing interests and tasks,” Moore said.

“It feels like there’s not enough time in the day to approach all that needs to be done.”

“In addition, sleep is usually a lower priority. Students get their activities and work done, then sleep for the remaining hours in the day.” counselor Lindsay Metcalfe said.

“If I get less than around eight hours of sleep I’m usually crankier and more irritable the next day,” junior Ty Maider said.

Though sleep is a nessecity for our bodies, it frequently gets put on the back burner.

“Sometimes I sacrifice sleep for homework, a major test I need to study for or other important assignments” Maider said. “But I always try to get of my work done early to avoid this.”

Even when students know not getting enough sleep affects them, it can be difficult to put other things aside.

However, studying and extracurriculars are not always the culprit for a student’s lack of sleep.

“I think sleep is important, but often times I don’t treat it like it is,” Mansfield said. “Sometimes I make the bad decision of staying up. I’ll watch Netflix over sleeping, but usually [only] on the weekends.”

It may suck, but prioritize work over Netflix and balance your activities. You may need to cut back, but it’s worth it to dodge the repercussions a lack of sleep has on us.

By Sydney Hurst