School News: Educating Peers on Why Sleep Is Essential
Fall 2021
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), 1 billion teens are chronically sleep-deprived, meaning they get less than eight hours of sleep per night. That is one fact Priya Agarwal, a senior at Westridge School for Girls (CA), calls out in her winning video for AASM’s 2021 Sleep is Essential High School Video Contest.
The annual contest is open to US high school students. Entrants submit an original video communicating in 60 seconds or less the message that sleep is vital for teens. Each winner receives a monetary prize split evenly between them and the school.
Agarwal entered the contest because she knew she and her peers weren’t getting enough sleep and wanted to understand the consequences. Her video, which won second place, is an animation that features different characters acting out while she narrates how lack of sleep affects brain development, particularly decision-making and emotions. There are other side effects, she explains in her video, including memory loss, learning difficulties, and social anxiety. Even more alarming, teenagers are responsible for 50% of car accidents related to drowsiness.
Agarwal hopes the video will educate her peers on the importance of sleep and perhaps inspire changes at her school that help students prioritize sleep. Some teachers already extend deadlines for assignments, encouraging students not to stay up late to get work done. She hopes more will do the same.
Watch the video at aasm.org. What’s happening at your school? Share your story with us at [email protected].