I can almost guarantee you that nearly every student has fallen asleep in class or been on the verge of it. Immediately awoken, instead of paying attention and actually comprehending the lesson, you spend the rest of class repressing sleep.
According to studies, high school students require at least eight or nine hours a night. Due to the competitive nature and extracurriculars, students get maybe half of that. What comes to a surprise to most scholars is that a short, "power nap" lasting twenty minutes is more effective than caffeine, according to the Washington Post and my own personal experience. If a student languishes into a pool of drool on his desk daily, wouldn't he learn more if his school designated fifteen minutes of rest a day in order for him to more effectively absorb information?
I propose a simpler approach to the debated "naptime" issue. Since lack of sleep is an accepted part of high school, students should be able to choose whether or not they want to have a "sleep period," sort of like an early out or any other yearlong class. The craze in Japan is all about power naps, especially because of the drastically improved test scores results.
Admittedly, students would take advantage of this beneficial opportunity. JICHS could even utilize it as an incentive for good behavior and/or grades. Since the purpose of school is to educate and encourage responsibility, the existence of power nap periods could dramatically improve students performance and overall attitude. If achievement is in the long run accelerated, as school's goal states, why not encourage power naps? It's a win-win situation.
According to studies, high school students require at least eight or nine hours a night. Due to the competitive nature and extracurriculars, students get maybe half of that. What comes to a surprise to most scholars is that a short, "power nap" lasting twenty minutes is more effective than caffeine, according to the Washington Post and my own personal experience. If a student languishes into a pool of drool on his desk daily, wouldn't he learn more if his school designated fifteen minutes of rest a day in order for him to more effectively absorb information?
I propose a simpler approach to the debated "naptime" issue. Since lack of sleep is an accepted part of high school, students should be able to choose whether or not they want to have a "sleep period," sort of like an early out or any other yearlong class. The craze in Japan is all about power naps, especially because of the drastically improved test scores results.
Admittedly, students would take advantage of this beneficial opportunity. JICHS could even utilize it as an incentive for good behavior and/or grades. Since the purpose of school is to educate and encourage responsibility, the existence of power nap periods could dramatically improve students performance and overall attitude. If achievement is in the long run accelerated, as school's goal states, why not encourage power naps? It's a win-win situation.