Teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep every night, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most RCMS students aren’t getting enough sleep.

“On a school night I usually go to bed between 9:30-10 p.m.,” said Eve Bruce, seventh-grader on the Dream team.

There are several reasons why teens are staying up late, and one reason they are getting up early. Parents might like to blame it on screens, while homework is one thing that keeps teens up late. But being a teen is stressful, and sometimes the thing that keeps teens awake is thoughts.

“It’s just thoughts, things I didn’t do, things I wanted to do, things I have stress and anxiety about,” said Lisa Britton, seventh-grader on the Dream Team.

Not only do RCMS students stay up late, they are also getting up early. RCMS students begin class at 7:30 a.m. With the early start time, some students are getting up anywhere between 5  and 6 a.m.

“I used to have school in the morning at like pretty early, like 5:30,” said Arnav Nair, seventh-grader on the Mavericks Team. “I used to sleep earlier back, then but now I just wake up normally at like 5:45.” 

And it is not only the students that have to get up early for school.

“My first alarm goes off at 4:30, and then I get up anywhere between 4:45 and 5 because I have to walk my dog,” said Ms. Patty Walsh, Science teacher on the Dream Team.  “But l like to be at school by 6:30 to get stuff done, but actually I just chat with my friends.” 

The CDC reports that the lack of sleep that plagues teens can really affect them academically. If kids are tired, they tend to not do as well in school because of a lack of concentration.

Lisa said, “When I’m tired, I make more mistakes and I forget stuff more easily.”