There are 24 hours in a day. Six hours or so are devoted to sleeping, seven hours to school, an hour or two to get ready and go back and forth between home and school, plus extracurricular activities. Students set aside at least half an hour for dinner, 15 minutes to shower and complete a nighttime routine, and, on top of that, homework can take two to four hours.

They may also have other activities like babysitting, work or just socializing with friends. Add all of that up and apply the procrastination problem common with teenagers, and there is not enough time in their day. 

To make the most of class time, many Carlisle High School teachers use Schoology for students to submit assignments via the web. This is a convenient tool for both staff and students because it simplifies the submission process. The problem comes when the teachers set the deadline to 11:59 pm. 

Students, especially in high school, struggle to overcome severe procrastination. The assignment may be given a week or more in advance, but many students will not start until the day of or the day before it’s due. This creates a situation in which students stay up all night to complete and turn in assignments. Many classes use the same midnight deadline system and night after night, students continue with the cycle, making them more and more sleep deprived.

It is thought that teenagers should get an average of 8 hours of sleep. According to an article on sleep’s effect on school performance, “only about 29 percent of students get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night. All-nighters are one of the causes for this low percentage.” Midnight deadlines set up students for “all-nighters.”

But, if the deadlines were changed to the start of class or the end of the school day instead, it would allow the students more time to complete their work without staying up all night. The pressure of all of the time restrictions they have to deal with is difficult to handle and students begin to procrastinate because they need time for themselves, to relax and calm down before returning to schoolwork. However, on a different schedule, they could use extra time during a study hall or lunch period to complete the assignment and not be tempted to stay up late.

Despite the fact that sleep is detrimental to your academics and emotional state, it can also cause some internal harm. According to sleep studies done by the National Sleep Foundation, “when you’re tired and even moderately sleep-deprived, your immune function is compromised. This can leave you vulnerable to catching colds, the flu, and other infectious illnesses—and make it harder to recover from infections and heal from wounds.” Going to school already makes you vulnerable to illnesses because of all of the germs, but with your immune system acting up, it increases your chances of getting sick.

Deadlines should not be set for midnight because of the negative consequences. Schoology is a useful tool but it should be used with caution, giving students more opportunities to complete assignments while still getting the necessary sleep.

Disclaimer: Articles designated as “Editorial” represent the views and opinions of the author, not the 2017-2018 Periscope staff, CHS Administration, or the CHS student body.