Extracurricular Activities Vs. Hours of Sleep for High School Students

Extracurricular activities, either within or outside of schools, not only complement students' academic learning but also provide them with opportunities to develop their mental, physical and social skills.



However, too much extracurricular activity can negatively impact on students' sleep patterns. According to a research conducted by Maurice Ohayon, MD, PhD from Stanford University, too many extracurricular activities cause sleep deprivation in college students, making them sleepy during the day, thereby negatively affecting their academic performance.

Self-Confidence and Social Skills

• Students who participate in extracurricular activities develop self-confidence. Extracurricular activities such as drama club, choir, bands or dance club, to name a few, give students the chance to perform in front of big audiences, helping them to gain confidence in performing or talking in front of people. Extracurricular activities also provide students with the chance to compete, teaching them to learn the importance of working hard to win and the art of losing. These skills are necessary when they join the work force, have to go to many interviews and compete in the job market. Other social skills that students acquire through extracurricular activities are negotiation and compromise.

Health Benefits and Stress Relief

• Sports activities are good forms of exercise and help students to be physically fit and avoid obesity. Additionally, sports activities are also proven to reduce stress among students. Physical activities increase the production of endorphins in the body. Endorphin is known as the "feel good" hormone because it creates a feeling of euphoria, usually referred to as "runners high."

  It's not only sports activities that have a positive health benefits to students. Any other extracurricular activity that engages the students' interest benefits their health. As students focus themselves on tasks they enjoy, they feel less tense and less worried about academic problems. They are also less likely to turn to drugs, smoking or drinking. (See Ref: 2)

Importance of sleep

• Sleep is very important in the mental and physical development of students. During deep sleep in children and young adults, growth hormones are released. It is also during sleep that the body repairs damaged cells and produces new ones. Furthermore, according to a study conducted by scientists in Switzerland in 2008, a good night sleep improves our ability to learn and remember. The amount of sleep needed varies according to each individual but on average, young children need twelve hours sleep and teenagers need between eight and a half to nine and a half hours sleep per night.

Sleep Deprivation

• Too much extracurricular activity can lead to sleep deprivation and can undermine the benefits it offers to students. Lack of sleep makes students feel unrested and tired. As a consequence they feel irritable and miserable. It also affects their performance in school. Insufficient sleep causes drowsiness and fatigue, which can lead to disciplinary problems at school such as sleeping in class and poor concentration. These problem leads to lower grades and poor overall academic performance.