I’m sooo tired” would definitely win first in a Paly’s-most-common-phrase contest. “Wow, I got such a good sleep last night” would probably be last.

According to sleepfoundation.org, the average teenager is supposed to sleep 9 1/4 hours each night. For students taking AP U.S. History or other classes of renowned rigor, that number may seem laughably unrealistic. Sleep deprivation can cause severe effects on a student’s physical and mental health. Not only can sleep deprivation lead to unhealthy eating habits, but it can also lead to aggressive and inappropriate behavior, according to sleepdeprivation.org. Without enough sleep,  the immune system can weaken, leaving one feeling even more fatigued and susceptible to disease than before.

Verde administered a survey to 320 Paly students to see the effect that sleep deprivation has on Paly’s student population.
The survey showed that the leading cause of sleep loss among Paly students is homework (47.3 percent), the second being extracurricular activities (18 percent). The data shows that many students are losing sleep largely due to school-based activities. 16.9 percent of students identify athletics as the main reason they do not get enough sleep. Only 17.2 percent of students lose sleep because of socializing or other reasons.