A Good Night of Sleep Helps Students' Performances

Question

The CDC states, "Adequate sleep contributes to a student's overall health and well being. Students should get the proper amount of sleep at night to help them stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic performance." The website also says that 6-12 year olds need 9-12 hours of sleep every 24 hours and 13-18 year olds need 8-10 hours of sleep every 24 hours.

Answer 1

This is true. Getting enough sleep is extremely important for students and can have a direct result on their performance in the classroom.

According to Sleep Foundation, "it is widely accepted by sleep experts that a lack of sleep reduces cognitive abilities and can harm school performance in children and teens." They also list the direct results of lack of sleep on mental function, which obviously ties into school performance:

• Decreased attention
• Impaired memory
• Slowed processing
• Worsened sequential thinking
• Reduced creativity

Can School Performance Be Improved With Good Sleep? | Sleep Foundation

Additionally, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Penn lists a variety of abilities that getting proper sleep allows students to perform at a higher level including the ability to learn, the ability to recall information, long-term memory, and solving problems creatively. 

The Impact of Sleep on Learning and Memory | Chronobiology and Sleep Institute | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (upenn.edu)

The bottom line is that sleep has a direct impact on many cognitive functions in both students and humans everywhere and therefore, impacts the performance of students in school.

Answer 2

A good night of sleep does indeed help students' performances. I found an article from the CDC confirming this statement. The article states, "Adequate sleep contributes to a student’s overall health and well-being. Students should get the proper amount of sleep at night to help stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic performance." This shows that sleep is essential to perform well. The article lists the risks of students not getting enough sleep as well as an estimate of exactly how much sleep is needed in each age group. Overall a good night's sleep helps students' performances. Not misinformation!

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sleep.htm

Answer 3

Although it can depend on the person, this claim is true. Getting the appropriate amount of sleep is a crucial step in the overall performance of a student. As writers for the Sleep Foundation state:

 "Getting consistent sleep is vital for children and adolescents who are experiencing significant brain development. Unfortunately, a significant number of students in elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States are failing to get enough nightly sleep.

Without enough sleep, children and teens can have problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving. Sleep deprivation can also contribute to emotional issues and behavior problems that may affect academic achievement.

Making sleep a priority is important for parents who want their children to succeed in school. Understanding the causes and consequences of poor sleep and knowing how to address it can allow parents to help children and teens in their academic pursuits."

A majority of their references include the National Library of Medicine as their main source.

Source: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep/sleep-and-school-performance

Supplemental Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21600346/

Answer 4

When it comes to the Center for Disease control, they state that the proper amount of sleep can be beneficial for an individual's overall health and well-being. For students primarily, the proper amount of sleep can "help stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic performance".

The proper amount of sleep is dependent on how old the student is, but it is safe to say that anywhere between 8-10 hours is a safe bet. For elementary, middle, and high schoolers.

Comments

Do you have any sources for your fact-check beside the CDC (which was already used in the claim)? It's best to include hyperlinks to your sources, going forward. Thanks!

Answer 5

Sleep ultimately has a sincere positive effect on speed, accuracy and reaction time. Without a good night's sleep, "you may notice that you are not able to think clearly or react as quickly during your training or game." This leads individuals to be more moody and irritable which also has an effect on their performance. In contrast, a good night's sleep will give you the ability to perform at your full potential.

https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/sleep-and-performance.pdf

Answer 6

Sleep in general is something that everyone needs no matter what. I think specifically students utilize it as it's not only a way to unplug but also a way to regain energy and do well within everyday activities whether that be school work, sports, homework, studying, or work. Mayo Clinic did research and put out a report saying that with 10 or more hours of sleep, accuracy of performance can increase by 10% which is an overall 60% potential difference. This statistic is very important as it shows sleep causes beneficial changes for most people. On the student side of things there are two sides to the story leading to the benefits sleep has on a young adult. According to the National Library of Medicine, the idea of sleep deprivation is a very real and extreme issue especially among high school and college students. 50% were reported to have daytime sleepiness and 70% were reported to have insufficient sleep. These statistics are very real and can cause a number of things like lower grades, increased risk of academic failure, a harder time learning, mood, and more. This shows how important sleep really is for students. There is a very similar concept from Idaho State University yet it compiles more specific information on the benefits sleep has rather than what not having enough of it can cause. Getting the required if not more amount of sleep as a child or young adult can lead to more focus, emotional wellbeing, creativity, and overall better physical health.