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Balancing Sleep and Study Time in High School Without Losing Yourself

Balancing Sleep
Balancing Sleep

“I Was So Tired – I Needed To Learn The Art Of Balancing Sleep”

There was a stretch during junior year when I was running on four hours of sleep a night—maybe five if I was lucky.

Between AP classes, SAT prep, tennis practice, club meetings, and homework that seemed to never end, I’d collapse into bed around 1AM, only to drag myself up at 6:30. Then I’d head to school and pretend I was fine.

I wasn’t fine. I was exhausted.

And the weird part? I wasn’t even doing it for fun anymore. I was just trying to survive the to-do list.

The lie we start to believe

Somewhere along the way, I convinced myself that being tired was normal. That high school was supposed to feel this way. That the kids who got eight hours must be doing something wrong—or not trying hard enough.

We glamorize the grind. We compete over who got less sleep like it’s some kind of achievement.

But sleep deprivation doesn’t make you stronger. It makes you foggy, anxious, and emotionally fried. I started snapping at my parents. My skin broke out. I stopped enjoying anything—even the things I used to love.

When I finally hit my wall

It was the night before a big chemistry test. I stayed up until 2AM re-reading my notes, then fell asleep on my textbook. The next morning, I blanked halfway through the test and started crying in the middle of class.

That was the moment I realized: I’m burning myself out for grades I won’t even remember a year from now.

What helped me reclaim my sleep (and my sanity)

  1. I gave sleep the same priority as studying
    I used to treat sleep as optional—something I’d do if I had time. Now, I build my study schedule around it. If I know I need seven hours, I plan backwards.
  2. I stopped trying to do it all in one night
    Studying for a test shouldn’t mean cramming until your brain shuts down. I started spacing things out over days, even if it was just 20 minutes at a time.
  3. I set phone limits at night
    TikTok was a big reason I stayed up longer than I planned. Now I plug my phone in across the room and try not to touch it after 10:30. I don’t always succeed—but the nights I do, I sleep way better.
  4. I started saying no to extra pressure
    I dropped one club. I skipped a few optional meetings. And the world didn’t fall apart. In fact, I felt like I could finally breathe.
  5. I gave myself permission to rest
    This was the hardest part. I had to unlearn the idea that rest was “wasting time.” Because it’s not. Rest is what makes effort sustainable.

If you’re running on empty too…

You’re not weak for needing sleep. You’re not lazy for choosing rest. You’re human.

You don’t have to sacrifice your health just to keep up. The best version of you—the one who’s focused, kind, creative, and curious—needs sleep. Needs space. Needs a break.

High school is important. But your well-being is not negotiable.

If you’re tired all the time, it’s not because you’re failing—it’s because you’re doing too much. And it’s okay to pause. It’s okay to protect your peace.

Trust me. You’ll think better, feel better, and actually be better with a little more sleep and a little less stress.

Are you addicted? Are you under stress? Need to talk to someone? Text “HELLO” to 741741 or visit Crisis Text Line. Trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 to help you with your stress.

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