By Kayla Carino

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—- In January, it was found that Silver Creek Raiders get an average of about six and a half hours at night, so it is important for them to regulate their sleep schedule to maintain their health.

It is recommended that teenagers sleep at least eight hours every night. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sleeping well improves your mood, physical health and allows you to think more clearly. It also reduces stress and improves your memory.

In an online survey by Kayla Carino, Silver Creek students report that the amount of hours they sleep each night causes them to feel drowsy in the morning and unable to concentrate on their studies due to falling asleep or even sleeping in class. Some feel like their lack of sleep is starting to affect their mental health and social life. Some find it hard to go to class or become sick. 

“I wake up feeling very tired,” says Miranda De Anda Garcia, a senior at Silver Creek who gets an average of five hours of sleep every night. Garcia added, “I feel like my lack of sleep is affecting my mental health and social life due to how tired and uninterested I can be. 

“I start falling asleep in class and space out when trying to focus on my homework,” says Elaine Tran, a sophomore who sleeps five to six hours at night. “It also makes me more grumpy as a person.”

A few reasons that students rest around under eight hours is either because of school work, extracurriculars or playing games. More reasons are that they get distracted by their phones or realize they have something they need to do before bed, like chores. Some just find it freeing to stay up or just aren’t tired.

“I sometimes stay up at night doing homework or playing video games,” says Thien Nguyen, a freshman who gets about five to six hours of sleep each night. 

“I have to stay up for homework and after school activities,” says Kiranpreet Dhilon, a senior who gets around six hours of rest every night. “But I’d like to sleep more so I can be well rested throughout the day.”

There are many ways to get better sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep can be improved by creating a sleep schedule, taking less naps and exercising more often. By adopting these habits, students can have more hours of quality sleep.