If you are not a morning person, you know that sleep is your best friend. Getting enough sleep is important. Sleep affects almost every aspect of our lives — both physical and emotional. If you feel sleepy and sluggish, it affects the way we react to things, the way we eat, exercise, work, and talk. Almost everyone I know can say that they have had a bad night of sleep. It could be from a scary movie, too much food before bed, or just going to bed too late. And when I talk to this friend (who has not had enough sleep) I notice how they look. They could have dark circles under their eyes, a puffy face, but what I notice most of all is their frown. Most of the time they may also have a bad attitude and react differently to things, then it’s just best to give them space.

Although, you might go to sleep really early, you could also be woken up in the middle of the night by a dream. This is probably the most frustrating time when someone or something can wake us up, yet it’s the most frequent. This is also terrible for the brain: it affects the way you think, read, write, talk, etc. If you have ever slept badly and started pronouncing things wrong or frequently forgetting words during the day, it’s probably because of lack of rest.

 How much sleep is enough sleep? This varies for different people. “Scientific research makes it clear that sleep is essential at any age. Sleep powers the mind, restores the body, and fortifies virtually every system in the body. But how much sleep do we really need in order to get these benefits?

National Sleep Foundation’s guidelines advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Dr Abhinav Singh stated: “Babies, young children, and teens need even more sleep to enable their growth and development. People over 65 should also get 7 to 8 hours per night.”

Frequently interrupted or fragmented sleep can lead to insomnia and daytime sleepiness. When a person has healthy sleep they go through stages called the sleep cycle. People who are interrupted or tend to wake up in the middle of the night may feel “blah” or more unhealthy than usual. When you sleep fully or “like a rock” you tend to feel more healthy and happy, ready to start a new day! Here are some quotes from my classmates and how they feel about their sleep: 

Maria Silveyra Dodds ‘26 said: “I like to go to sleep at 8:00. Which is the latest I ever sleep. I don’t have any problems otherwise. Yes, I have been interrupted during a dream when my dad wakes me up/ alarm clock. And I am always like ‘can I go back to sleep and finish my dream’?!”

Bella Gonet ‘26 said: “I think that the school times do affect my sleep because we live about an hour away, meaning I have to wake up really early in the morning in order to get to school on time. I like to wake up (if I had a choice on a school day) at maybe 9? But, I am a night owl, so on the weekend I wake up at like 11, maybe. I don’t really know how to help this”- 26’ Bella Gonet 

As hardworking students, it’s very important that all of us do our best to get enough sleep each night so that we are able to function bright and healthy throughout the day. Check out this link below to learn more about interrupted sleep

Rachael Botelho’26, Staff Writer

26rbotelho@montroseschool.org