Why Don't Most Teachers Let Students Sleep In Class?

[Lauren Chemello]

Statistics show that teenagers need 10 hours of sleep each night. Well, mostly all teenagers have busy schedules and don't get 10 hours of sleep each night. I know I don't! So if this fact is true, why won't teachers let their students fall asleep in class? I have American Studies 7th and 8th period and I won't lie, I'm wiped out by then. I get so tired and it's really hard to pay attention. Mr. McCusker always tells my class that if he didn't care about us, then he would let us sleep. Now I understand that but at the same time, it's our future on the line. We need to be responsible for ourselves because in college and in the real world, people won't be constantly telling us to wake up or stay on task. Not that I don't appreciate your kind efforts, Mr. McCusker!!!

I know there has been talk before about starting school later because our brains don't start to really function until about 10am. If this is so, why do teachers expect us to pay attention and comprehend new things so early? My first period class is French. I barely know English that early in the morning. How am I supposed to convert over to French?!?!? I don't like sleeping in class, but I always wonder why teachers don't let their students sleep in class. The students should be responsible enough to stay awake, and if they can't, then that's their own problem!

After reading this, what do you think? Should teachers let their students sleep in class? Should students just go to bed earlier? Why or why not? Feel free to express your opinions!

Haha I liked this photo! =) Explains most of my classes!

[Ashlyn Jensen]

Doctors recommend a good 7 to 8 hrs of sleep every night to be well rested, and theres absoloutley no way I'm going to get that, not if you want me get all the things done I need to do for the next day!!! This may not  be true for everyone, but I know that I have stuff that I'm involved in after school and dont get home till that and then I have to eat with my family, and do homework and shower, Im going to sleep at midnight or 1. The least teachers could do is give me a couple hours to sleep in school, unless they're willing to cut back on the homework, and hey I'm cool with that!!!

[Jared Niec]

I know that i don't fall alseep before 10 most nights and to fall alseep before that, i've got to be really tired. The required hours of sleep that teenagers need is rarely reached because we don't fall alseep before 10 and most wake up at 6 or 6:30 for school. By the time I get to school im already half asleep and having to listen to any teacher try and teach this early in the morning on the amount of sleep i've gotten really does not help me stay awake. But i don't think teachers should let students fall alseep in class becuase they do want their students to succeed and letting them sleep and miss what was taught in class that day doesn't help.

[Josh Jyawook]

i mean im sure there are some teenagers that do go to bed reallly early and do get enough hours of sleep, or if some nights teenagers are just so tired they fall asleep early i dont know. but i do think teachers shoudl let students sleep in class becasue exactly what she said its our responsiblity to pay attention. if we dont then thats our own grade we are messing up. teachrs have already been through school, its our own responsiblity and our future that we are messing up

[Meghan Byrne]

I know that there is NO way that any teenager goes to bed earlier than what? 10 p.m.? Especially me. Even when i actually try to go to bed earlier, i end up staying awake til at least 10:30 0r 11. I don't necessarily think that teachers should let us sleep in class because... we still need to learn and all that jazz. BUT I do believe that school should start at least an hour later than it does now. It would be soooo much easier on all of us students AND teachers.

[Nick Fallico]

I definitely think teachers should let kids sleep in their class. I'm sure they think that if they do everyone will be sleeping and not paying attention but I'm sure only a few kids at the most would actually fall asleep. I know that I have trouble staying awake in my 1&2 period Amer. Studies and I usually do fall asleep in class but they shouldn't yell at me for doing that, in fact they never do so thank you. But I feel that as the day goes on I just get more and more awake. Especially after lunch I'm wide awake but lunch is after all my classes so thats no help. I think that school should start later and I'm sure that a lot of people think that too but I know people said they'd rather have it start early so they have more time after school. But I don't care about that I'd rather sleep in. Thank goodness tomorrow is a super late start.

[Morgan Delapa]

I agree with Lauren. Its so true that we need sleep and a lot of it! Its refreshes you when you get a good 8 hours in. But yea that doesnt happen everynight. With our busy schedules, sleep is what you want most but have to worry about least. In college the teachers could care less. Its your grade, so you need to pay attention. You really dont even have to show up to class. Now that would hurt your grade but hey its only your fault then. So if we could sleep if we wanted, it would hurt our grade but thats our choice. It would prepare us for college more if we could have the choice to sleep

[Bianca Cerna]

I don't think they should cause it is true that in college, no one is going to be yelling at you to wake up. It's your resposibilty to show up and pay attention because college teachers don't really care and if they do, they don't really show it. Your future, you can use/waste your time however you like.

[carla tolomeo]

I agree with Lauren in this situation. In a lot of college classes, the teacher doesn't even take attendance. It is the student's responsibility to show up to class, or they face the consequences of falling behind. If the teachers let the students to make the choice of sleeping in class, in a way, they are preparing them for college.

[Sarah Obrzut]

I think teachers should just let the student sleep in class instead of taking the time to wake them up every 5 minutes. People need to be responsible for staying awake on their own, or else face the consequences of not understanding what was taught that day.

[Jared Niec]

Teachers don't let students sleep in class because it can easily become a distraction for other students. I disagree that school should start later because then we'd have less time to do what we would want after school. If your in a sport some games last 4-6 hours between the drive there and back and playing. So if we started school at roughly 8, we'd end at about 5 (pushing everything back 2 hours) then some games would go until 7-11, then theres homework which wouldn't get you to sleep, depending on how much you have, until 12 or 1 am. For the sleep issure, if you want more sleep... go to bed earlier. It's not your parents or teachers responsiblity that you get the amount of sleep that you need.