Positive mornings make for brighter days
November 16, 2016
Without a thoughtful morning routine, getting to school by 7:40 a.m. can be a struggle for many students. Because teenagers naturally feel awake later at night, most don’t fall asleep before 10 p.m. according to The National Center For Health Research (NCFHR).
The way students start their day directly impacts how they will feel throughout school and after school activities. The time they wake up, how many times they push snooze, what they eat for breakfast and how long they spend in the shower are just some of the factors.
They sleep in as late as possible and feel so stressed in the morning that their whole day is constant stress. Having a set morning routine is healthy and beneficial.
— Miranda Nevarez
According to NCFHR, a growing number of studies show that early school starting times can weaken students’ ability to learn and get along with others. Studies also show that it increases unsafe driving habits and the likelihood of drug abuse. Unthoughtful time management and a negative outlook on the morning are seen to increase the numbers in those studies, whereas a thoughtful morning routine is said to decrease the numbers.
“Many students are tired and stressed out all the time because they don’t wake up with a positive attitude and then they’re in a bad mood all day,” junior Miranda Nevarez said. “They sleep in as late as possible and feel so stressed in the morning that their whole day is constant stress. Having a set morning routine is healthy and beneficial.”
Morning routines vary depending on the person. Females tend to wake up earlier, spending more time than males do on personal appearance. Research shows that on average, females spend 55 minutes getting ready, 25 minutes longer than the average male.
“I usually start with doing my makeup, next I eat breakfast, then I get dressed and do my hair,” sophomore Alyssa Bump said, who wakes up at 6 a.m.
Senior Alex Navarro wakes up 30 minutes after Bump. “I’ll wake up in the morning and shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, then I’ll eat breakfast,” he said.
A healthy breakfast is essential to a happy day at school. An Australian survey of over 500 teachers revealed that each day students skip eating breakfast, they lose up to two hours of learning because hunger leads to lack of concentration. It is arguably the most important meal of the day because it gives the body fuel and brain power to take on the day. When students don’t include eating breakfast into their morning routines it’s harder for them to stay focused and willing to work hard.
“I think something with protein like bacon and eggs with some toast is a good breakfast, it gives you the energy and nutrients you need to think clearly and be properly energized until lunch time,” Navarro said.
Sometimes the morning routine actually starts the night before. Some students plan what they are going to wear and pack their lunch before heading to bed. Students like Bump give consideration into how they manage the timing of their routine in order to get as much sleep as possible.
“I think showering at night is better because then I don’t have to dry my hair,” Bump said.
As quarter two is beginning most students are back into the feel of school week morning routines. It is important that students get to school on time feeling awake and ready to learn. Although nobody’s routines are quite the same, each play a role in student learning, grades and attitude. A thoughtful morning routine makes every day brighter.
Carl Bohacek • Jan 18, 2017 at 10:02 am
Relatable story, Good Balance of statistics and quotes from students at the school. The Poll of SAHS Students was especially effective. I also liked how it branched out from just wake-up time and touched on morning routines and healthy breakfasts.
Jared Dean • Jan 18, 2017 at 12:19 am
The article was very well written. I liked how you used facts from a wide variety of sources and had several perspectives to the morning routines. The detail and time spent on this article was clearly shown through the research you had done and the facts given were solid and well placed.
Ellie Faeth • Jan 17, 2017 at 10:44 pm
I absolutely love the infographic. This article is amazingly informative and very intriguing. Your use of statistics from The National Center for Health Research is fantastic. This topic is widely talked about by students, so it is a nice article to read and relate to. Well done!
Alex Ehde • Dec 1, 2016 at 8:30 am
This article really emphasizes a healthy morning routine and how it can affect the rest of your day. I like this article because I have a hard time in the morning and a routine always helps me get ready quicker with less stress. I like the way you added the quotes, it was a very smooth transition. I also like the amount of facts, it opened my eyes to how long the avg female takes to get ready vs the avg male and how accurate it really is.
Emma Clarkowski • Nov 22, 2016 at 9:35 pm
A very well written article, the statistics on the different times people wake up was very informative. Seeing the different perspectives of different people widened my knowledge on the different routines of high school students. I loved the topic of teenagers sleep because its a rising issue in teens today, and seeing something that I could relate to definitely caught my eye. It was great to see the effects that sleep has on teens and the article!
Audra Risberg • Nov 21, 2016 at 12:43 pm
This is something that all students can relate to. Adding information about breakfast and concentrating in school helps convince readers that having a positive morning route is important. I like how the article compares different morning routines of different people.
Elana Ross • Nov 20, 2016 at 6:58 pm
I really liked this article, it was very well written and informative. I didn’t realize that not eating breakfast causes students to lose up to 2 hours of sleep. This article defiantly makes me want to try and make sure I can fit a breakfast in even if it is small. Overall this was very well written!
McKenna Wohlers • Nov 17, 2016 at 7:17 pm
I really enjoyed reading this article and seeing the impact the morning really has on you. I knew you had start with a positive mindset, but did not know that the morning can really impact us students in such a negative way. I agree with Miranda’s quote, “They sleep in as late as possible and feel so stressed in the morning that their whole day is constant stress. Having a set morning routine is healthy and beneficial.” — Miranda Nevarez.
This is so true, I try to sleep in as late and possible and feel stressed that I will not make it to school on time and then I stress about a test and so on and so on. I selected this article because I can be a negative person in the morning because I do not want to go to school, and I wanted to know how a negative morning can not be good on us students. Thank you for sharing this article!