Many teens dream of a full night’s sleep, and as finals arrive that dream is just that — a dream.

“Since finals rolled around, I have been getting less and less sleep each night. I have been staying up studying and completing study guides,” Molly Schutz, freshman, said.

Along with after school activities such as sports and clubs, students spend many late nights studying and working on homework. The workload  can change the amount of sleep gotten each night, leading to few teens with a proper sleeping schedule.

“One time my mom told me around 10 hours [of sleep was required for teens]; I was surprised; it didn’t make sense to me,” Bryanna Cali, freshman, said.

Many teens are taught to believe a decent night of sleep consists of around 7 ½ hours, but according to a study done by nationwideschildren.org, the average teenager needs around 9 ¼ hours. The study also showed even one hour less of sleep can have an dramatic effect on the mind and body of the growing teen.

“Balancing work and school has been rough this year; sleeping has not become my top priority each day. I am looking forward to winter break,” Julie Brown, junior, said.

The dream of sleep for many is rapidly approaching as winter break is a few days away. Taking time to gain the 9 ¼ needed will recharge the body ready for another semester. Sleep well during winter break!