Quarantine causes changes in sleep schedules; Students say online school is ‘hard to manage’

     Throughout quarantine and the start of online school, students have changed up their sleep schedules. This change has had positive and negative effects on many. 

     Sleep is an essential part of getting through the day and having good health physically and mentally. Due to school being virtual because of Covid-19, students have a more flexible schedule. Students can sleep longer in the morning and have ten-minute breaks in between each class. 

     “I try to get eight hours of sleep every night, usually seven,” sophomore Julia Eakes says. Back when school was in-person, Eakes claimed, “I got mostly the same amount of sleep because I got up earlier but went to bed earlier and had a more solid sleep schedule.”

     Still on the topic of in-person school, Eakes mentions, “(being) in school was easier to manage. I can’t focus with online school. She adds, “being home means I have very little motivation to get things done. When we were in school it was easier to see everyone and have a set schedule to do work because we were in the building.” Eakes says that, “a lot of students are lacking motivation.  We’re not in a learning environment right now and it affects the state of the brain.” 

     Eakes remarks that this lack of motivation and change from in-person school to virtual school has been affecting the way she performs in her classes, “last year I was really organized and turned in everything on time and it was fine, but now I can’t seem to push myself to do anything.” She adds, “procrastination is a big problem.” Eakes mentioned that the workload (from teachers) is a lot, “but many of my teachers are flexible with due dates which is really helpful since we’re dealing with the stress of everything going on in the world right now.” 

     Sophomore Haley Ferran says that when she attended school in-person, she got less sleep, “I had to get up around five o’clock.” Virtual learning has affected Ferran and the way she does in school, “I’m not good at focusing when it comes to this online stuff […] Also, I just don’t understand half the stuff teachers are saying.” Ferran adds, “I’m not that great at math and I just don’t ever get what she [math teacher] is saying.” 

     Ferran agrees that students are lacking motivation during this time, “100 percent. I always hear teachers saying how students aren’t turning their work in and some people just don’t even participate in class.” She adds, “I don’t really think sleep is the thing. Maybe in the first class or something but overall, I would say no.”