Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24:
Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash
Sleep – the one thing that everyone agrees they can never get enough of. Recently, all I’ve been hearing about is sleep. With the last trimester of the school year coming to a close and final exams creeping just around the corner, the one recurring topic of conversation that I hear is how nobody is getting enough sleep to be considered healthy.
Science always tells us teenagers that we need 7-9 hours of interrupted sleep a night, with some studies going even further to suggest that this number isn’t enough.
Anything less than the recommended amount is said to lead to definitive negative side effects, which can include difficulty concentrating on everyday events, reduced academic performance, and trouble remembering things.
And yet, I, a sixteen year old teenager, feel fine with a very much less-than-recommended average of 4-6 hours of sleep a night.
During the school day, I have no trouble focusing in class, I answer questions fairly regularly, and I am able to maintain a good average. I’m on the school Honor Roll and in the National Honor Society. In fact, I feel that I have a pretty strong memory when it comes to studying for tests and quizzes.
In addition, I’m involved with a multitude of activities. In school, not only am I the Editor-in-Chief of The PhoenixOnline but also the Team Captain of the Robotics Club. I’ve also spent time as part of Lab Squad, Sodality, and ETV Morning Announcements. Outside of school, I do college-level research at Hofstra University, play tennis at my local high school courts, and I do community service through Molloy University’s Energeia for Teens program.
And the most shocking thing of all? I don’t have the dreaded coffee addiction.
All in all, I think I’m doing pretty well for being a “sleep deprived” teenager. This fact makes me wonder: is 7-9 hours of sleep the universal need for everyone?
Recently, I came across a quote from 50 Cent, the popular hip-hop artist and turned savvy businessman. He said, “I don’t sleep. I might miss the opportunity to make a dream become a reality.”
What statement could sum it up better than that? After all, there are only 24 hours in a day. The recommended amount of sleep would easily take up 30-40% of that, which is time that could have been spent on other activities, such as doing hobbies, hanging out with friends and family, or working through the late hours to stay on top of things.
PhoenixOnline recently conducted a survey on the amount of sleep teenagers get during the work-week. Over 350 students responded to the Google Form.
As of Monday, May 29, 38.5% of the respondents indicated that they regularly get 4-6 hours of sleep a night, and 8.6% said they receive less than 4 hours. Only 49.1% of survey-takers reported between 6 and 8 hours a night; the remaining 3.7% slumber a whopping 8+ hours a night.
PhoenixOnline also asked the participants of the survey what they do during the time they “should” be sleeping.
The category for Social Media and Socialization took the lead with 265 votes. The sections for Schoolwork and Listening to Music closely followed, with 243 and 224 votes respectively. Creative Work had 115 votes, and Video Games ended the list with 106 votes.
Overall, the survey shows that nearly half of the participants don’t get what is considered to be enough sleep. While those who do get “enough” sleep are in the slight majority, it most certainly is not a landslide.
Furthermore, according to the survey, it’s not like this time is going to waste. Teenagers are using it to follow their own interests, relax after a stressful day, and also get some work done. Is this really so wrong?
Many of the arguably most successful people don’t get what is considered to be “enough” sleep.
Famous inventors such as Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla have been said to have gotten between 2 and 5 hours a night.
CEOs such as Julie Smolyansky of Lifeway Foods, Sergio Marchionne of Fiat, Dominic Orr of Aruba Networks, and Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo all have been reported to have an average of 4 hours of sleep a night.
Tom Ford, a fashion designer and billionaire, claims to get only three hours a day.
If all of these “sleep-deprived” people are able to be well-known and successful in their lives, then it stands to reason that maybe not everyone needs to have a full 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Everyone is different from each other, and as long as we know our individual limits, what harm is there in spending less time asleep and more time making dreams a reality?
But then again, I’m just another “sleep deprived” teenager in this world, so what do I know?