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Sleep Deprived Teenager: Too Much Homework

by Kate
(UK)

I'm writing this at 3:00 a.m. in my local time zone. I'm not procrastinating, I'm just taking a five minute break from all of the work I still have left to do. My headache has gotten bad enough that I need to separate myself from my writing for long enough for my thoughts to clear.


I'm a teenager in the IB program, and I'm chronically sleep deprived. The way that the IB program works is that you are given both international and local curriculum requirements to fulfill, at the same time, despite the fact that the overlaps between the two systems are often not that substantial.

As a result, since the beginning of October (it is now early June), I have had an average of 6 hours of sleep a night. For the last few months, this average has decreased to approximately 4 hours.

There are times, such as tonight, when I will potentially get 2 hours of sleep, if I don't succeed in pulling another all-nighter. Yet, this is the reality in my high school. Right now, I'm texting other friends for homework help, almost all of whom are up and awake. The majority of them will be to bed by 3:30, and up again before 7.

I get heart palpitations, my hands shakes, I've lost all color to my skin - I haven't been outside for
more than 45 minutes in months, makeup no longer covers the bags under my eyes, my immune system has begun to fail me (I always have a cold), visual auras have become more commonplace, I have gained weight from the number of times I've had caffeinated products and carbs at all hours of the night... and I'm exhausted.

This is sleep deprivation. Don't try it.

Kevin: Hey Kate, I can relate. Looking back on my high school years, which were just a few years ago, I can see that I was totally sleep deprived from simply not having enough hours in the day after the demands of school and sports. My high school started at 7:10 AM, which meant waking up at 5:30 each morning to make it on time (there was a lot of traffic by the school close to start time). Not a good hour when homework and a natural teenage circadian rhythm had me up until 11PM or midnight the night before.

It's tough when the system conspires against you. But hey, education and increased awareness of these issues is the best way to change the system, or in the meantime, at least understand what's happening with your body so you can be as strategic as possible in dealing with or knocking off your sleep debt.

From one (former) sleep deprived teenager to another...

Good luck,
Kevin

Comments for Sleep Deprived Teenager: Too Much Homework

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Apr 24, 2013
 u ppl just don't know how it is! NEW
by: Anonymous IBer

Ordinary high school is all cookies compared to the IB senior year! Even if you don't procrastinate a single second, there is still a tremendously high work burden on you. You can well have a few all-nighters in a week being an IB senior, if you study exclusively sciences and take HL maths especially.
Sep 29, 2014
 Uh Oh NEW
by: Anonymous

2 am here where I am and I haven't finished my h/w yet and I am in 7th grade. I am soooooo screwed for high school!
Oct 09, 2014
 My advice... NEW
by: A fellow IB student

I attend an IB school also, one of the top in the country. With all college and IB classes, I completely understand. I have gone nights with practically no sleep at all, and have paid for it the next day by falling asleep in class... as I did today... twice... But, I have discovered that staying up for these assignments is just not worth it. You either get it done in time, or you don't. Sleep is not a luxury, it is a necessity. I've discovered that what works best for me is coming home after school and athletics, showering, taking a quick twenty or so minute nap, and getting straight to work. I try to be in bed before eleven. I don't always make that, but I try. Also, if I go several days tightly sticking to this schedule, I take an easy day (if I can afford it), by coming home and, instead of sleeping, watching TV.
What I am saying is, manage your time and make plenty of room for sleep. Without it, grades slip and you become miserable.
Good luck!
Nov 19, 2014
 I know how you feel NEW
by: Anonymous

I sleep at around 2-3AM, 1 at best. I have to wake up at around 5:30AM. I'm in my freshman year of high school, and my teachers all expect us to study for around 2-3 hours for each class and do homework that requires us to read a bunch of pages each night, with essays and summaries. Not to mention, my teachers like to schedule tests and quizzes on the same week, if not the same day. This drives me nuts.
Nov 30, 2014
 Sleep Deprived NEW
by: em14

I am also in high school, and know what your going through, the teachers expect to much of you, and all your tests and big homework is on the same nights/weeks. I get stressed out easily, and that doesn't help with sleep. i guess you just have to stay calm.
Dec 18, 2014
 Same here! NEW
by: Anonymous

It's currently 12:35 AM where I live, and I have at least 5 hours left of homework. I won't be sleeping at all. Didn't procrastinate, everything I'm working on was assigned today and I've been working since I got home. I'm an eighth grader, regular public school, yada yada yada. This is early Thursday morning. On Monday night, I worked for 9 hours straight and got 6 hours of sleep. Tuesday, I worked for 11 hours and had a doctors appointment that took 2 hours, and got 2 hours of sleep. Since I won't get any sleep tonight, that's 8 hours of total sleep in 3 days. I'm exhausted, I have permanent dark baths under my eyes, and I've even fallen asleep in class once or twice. While I might get 6 hours of sleep, if I'm lucky, I normally get maybe 4 hours of sleep, and more if I have a lot of homework or a big project. This is causing so many problems for me that are very similar to yours. Do you (or anyone else) have any suggestions? I start on my HW when I get home, so that isn't the problem, it's just the workload. I'm worried about my health, since I'm getting so little sleep. My school performance has declined and my ability to pay attention has been minimized. I also have irregular eating--- sometimes I want to stuff my face with junk food, other times I can't even forced myself to eat. Lately, I've more been not eating than overeating. This is affecting my entire life and causing many problems, what can I do?!
Feb 05, 2015
 Another IB Student NEW
by: Anonymous

I am also in IB, and I keep on getting depressed. There's too much work especially that I join Visual Arts HL, it's really tough and I don't know if I can survive until the end. I am a huge procrastinator and that's a bad thing for me, but I can't help it, and now I have to suffer with piles of work to do.
Mar 03, 2015
 Similar Problem NEW
by: Anonymous

It's 12:20 AM and I'm a freshman that attends a private high school and I'm so screwed for my upcoming years of educating. I still have another hour of homework to do. I wake up at 6:30 AM since class starts at 7:30 AM and I literally fall asleep in every class. To add on top of that, every class is around 1 hour and 20 minutes. It's been getting bad lately and I'm pretty sure I am sleep-deprived and have some sort of ADD or ADHD. Even my own mom says I have a concentration issue which does not help at all.
Mar 11, 2015
 Does any one have any idea how to help me? NEW
by: Anonymous

I am from Scotland and I am usually up till at least 2am every morning, just getting hw done. If I don't do the hw we get a detention then a letter home and also we won't get a good grade. I have no idea how to make my situation any better. I am always tired and most days have severe headaches. This means I cant pay attention in my classes. I have @ least 6hours of hw per week.
So far since the start of the school year I have had 2 weeks without no hw. Does any have any idea how to make my situation any better?
Mar 18, 2015
 I don't sleep and Im still in middle school NEW
by: Anonymous

I start doing my homework around 3.30 pm and I finish at like 2 am and I'm in 8th grade.
For example, I have to do a research on Myanmar and one on Aung San Suu Kyi, 5 exercises for maths, a comment to a film we saw in class and I also have to draw a whole apartment with the measurements the teacher gave us and it's all due tomorrow! Now it's 9 pm and I still have so many things to do! I always go to bed with tears falling down my cheeks because I'm so stressed out! And if I get a B on a test, my mother gets angry and nervous becayse she says I'm not good enough, but I always try my best...
Mar 19, 2015
 So sad NEW
by: Anonymous

It's 12:44 AM here right now. I am a major procrastinator also. And I'm in my 11th year in high school and I really, REALLY, shouldn't be procrastinating. I'm in a normal high school but it's still a struggle. I'm not sure if it's a mental thing but everyone around me, including sophomores and seniors and other juniors seem like they're working so hard and I'm the only one wasting my time. I feel terrible. I know I shouldn't pile up homework after homework but once procrastination starts--it's not easy to stop it from becoming a miserable habit. At least you're not procrastinating and you're going on IB and all that--your work will surely pay off someday :) And I keep dozing off at least 2 times every other day also and it's driving me crazy. People probably know me for dozing off by now. But oh well... let's hope we all make through this.
Mar 24, 2015
 I don't sleep NEW
by: Anonymous

It is 3:30am in the morning, I have to get up at 6. I'm still not finished. I started at 6:30pm. This is at a public high school in scotland, Teachers expect way too much.
Apr 10, 2015
 so much to do.... NEW
by: Anonymous

its already 11:00 and I have about three more hours of hw to get through, plus a huge essay... idk what im going to do tomorrow so screwed. cannot wait until highschool is over.
Apr 13, 2015
 IB is a killer NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm no procrastinator either, but I get loaded up with homework from my beloved teachers. I'm in my junior year of IB - it's 10:00 here - and I've still got to finish two chapters of chemistry questions, a chemistry summary, a chapter of maths questions and I still have to revise for my psychology test in two days.
And my chemistry teacher is making me re-write all my notes from the past term because he doesn't like the way I've set them out.
I'm going to be up for another four hours at least.
I find myself drifting off in class and I've spent so much time staring at my computer screen and textbooks that my eyesight is starting to fail me.
What the teachers don't seem to understand is that their subject is not the only subject we take. We don't need 3 hours of homework from their subject.
I'm finding that my levels of anxiety are skyrocketing and I'm beginning to have moments where I black out and I have experienced several severe panic attacks in the past few months. The only time I get to socialize is in the library at lunch and after school where I'm still finishing off homework. And still then, the only topic of conversation is homework. On average, I spend about 65 hours a week on homework. That's not including my time at school. My weekends are 16 hour work days.
What's sadder is that I'm not the only person with this issue of too much work, too little time.
Apr 30, 2015
 same NEW
by: Anonymous

good lord, i understand. i am exhausted and am going to fall asleep tomorrow in class, which means more studying. i wish us all luck.
Jun 21, 2015
 Depressed NEW
by: Anonymous

I Have Way To Much Homework At Night I Cry My Self To Sleep
Jun 27, 2015
 Same here NEW
by: Ella

I was living in the exact same state for months as I fought my way through the IB program. I realized recently that the solution to the sleep impossibility was to cut out a few of my extra curriculars to get home to do homework earlier. It was a really hard decision for me to leave some of my favorite activities but in the end I realized how important sleep is. I even complete homework faster with a better night's sleep.
Jul 28, 2015
 Same Here NEW
by: Sleepy

I am quite a high achiever and fairly active person so my day starts at 5 am to go to rowing, I then run home, get ready, then bus to school for school to start at 9, I have to do study in my lunch hours to get my homework done. After school, I have sport which consists of football, cycling and rowing training. I get home at around 7:30-8 have tea then start my homework which requires around 5hrs and more if I have assessments due. And every other night I have work from 6 till late which means I get 2hrs of homework before work then finish the rest after which means getting to bed around 1at the very least. I am always deprived of sleep and struggle to even focus in class now.
Aug 02, 2015
 Ouch! NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm a Junior taking the 3 hardest AP's at my school and then 4 honors courses on top of that. I have 7+ hours of homework a night so I can sort of relate. I get sick when I don't sleep and I've been throwing up because I'm doing homework till 3:30 and then getting to bed but unable to sleep and then waking at 5 to drive to school. I'm freaking out because one day I'm going to fall asleep at the wheel with my two little brothers in the car and I don't know what to do! Quite honestly I just have no social life now. I'm like you, face timing friends so we can do the homework together, trying to take breaks to clear my head, and using every free moment I have be it before I have rowing practice from 4-6 or on weekends. Colleges want well rounded students, but if I keep sports up my grades are going to plummet, and I'm at a loss.
Sep 04, 2015
 Ugh... NEW
by: Ember

I am a freshman taking honors classes, spanish, and photography, not to mention bio and not really mattering pe. It's only 9 right now and I know I'll have to be up super late if i want to get my work done but then Ill get no sleep since I have to be up by 5 to 6 since my mom works at my school which means I also stay till 4 instead of 2. It is also only the first 3 or 4 weeks of school. Man I really dont know if I would rather continue to let what little fragments of lide die in me or just get some sleep so I can dream about the things that have killed parts of me. Im so done but we all know if we dont get the grades and go to college we are screwed in life because we are meant to slave away until we are old and "useless".
Sep 22, 2015
 It's not all that great NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm in the 8th grade, and I go to a performing arts school. While that may sound all fun and exciting, it's not. I'm not being ungrateful, but it gets a bit too much sometimes. It's not my academics (so far they've been a breeze) but it's my arts area. I do visual arts, nothing special. Except, I have 3 art classes. Each with a demanding amount of work to be done. I go to sleep at 1am with unfinished work. I have to wake up at 5am to get ready to catch my first bus around 6. My school is far from my house and I cannot afford to miss my busses. I don't get home till around 5pm, and by the time I'm home, I'm worn out. I get migraines. 13 year olds shouldn't have to get migraines. I do procrastinate a bit, but it's not because I don't want to do it, it's because I don't know how. The kids that are in my art classes have been at this school since 6th grade. I'm just showing up this year. They've gotten all the instructions and all the things. I just show up and they expect me to know this? I don't know jack shit about art! They accepted me because I could draw ok, but no one told me I would have a 3D art class, a design class and a drawing class. On top of that I don't really have friends. So I can't go up to a classmate and ask them how to do this because they give me that look that says, 'Shouldn't you already know this?'. And I don't. I came from one of the worst schools to the best. I'm not a fucking prodigy! I just want to sleep for fucks sake. But I got so much shit to do I can't. No one told me I get a whole metric fuck ton of work in art than anything else. Why would they give us so much work to do in an arts area that isn't as appreciated as dancing, singing, acting, and instruments?
Sep 30, 2015
 Tips...maybe. NEW
by: A fellow IB victim

I understand and I can relate. I am a junior at my IB school, the one that was actually titled the most challenging in the world for a few years. So, I understand exactly where you're coming from and what you're going through.
However, I have learned a few things that will make your life easier. They sure made mine much more pleasant.
1)Health>School.
If you don't get enough sleep, you're grades are going to fall apart. Sleep is not an option,it is a necessity. IB is not worth your health, and sleep deprivation makes life miserable anyway. Try to get at least eight hours a night on most nights. Sometimes, a zero for a homework grade is worth enough sleep.
2) Give up on a social life. I know that sounds bad, but sleep and school come first. If you can manage both and still have time to go out with friends, then by all means do it. But, sometimes, hanging out with your friends on only the weekends is just going to have to cut it.
3) Procrastination=self-destruction
Don't do it. Just don't. In the end, it will only screw you over and send you into an emotional breakdown. Do your work as you get it and ALWAYS start your homework by five o'clock at the latest. Trust me, the earlier, the earlier you're done and the earlier you can sleep and relax.
4) Try to balance some fun activities. I love to paint and write, and everyday (even for only a few minutes) I write. It eases stress and is a creative outlet, which have been proven to help brain-function and mood.
Anyway, I hope these help anyone who has read them. Good Luck!
Oct 05, 2015
 It's Sickening NEW
by: Kaden G. Kieu

I'm a junior in a regular public highschool taking 2 AP classes this semester. (I know AP isn't even a big deal compared to IB.) But I still find the school year so far to be really challenging. It's October 5th, 12:58 PM.
My problem is that not only is the homework hard, but I simply have no motivation. I get home from school and sit around the house for hours just chilling. Most nights I end up falling asleep without doing any homework whatsoever. I just find it as a waste of time.
In the beginning, it was easy to do exactly that. I did my homework during school somehow. But now, everything is catching up to me and I don't know if I'll be able to do this anymore.
This past weekend I had so much stuff to do. On Friday I was already so tired from school and put off all my homework to Saturday. On Saturday, I ended up waking up late and doing chores for most of the day. By the time I was done, it was around 7 PM. I did not want to spend that little time before bed doing homework, so again, I put off the homework for Sunday. On Sunday I ended up going to a friend's house to help with her senior project, so again, I got no homework done. When I got home, however, I had 5 hours before bedtime and all I did was chill and sit around my house. I don't know if it's just laziness or not. But everything concerning school just stresses me out so much to the point that I just feel like throwing up when I think about all the work I didn't do...
Oct 08, 2015
 i wish i could be sleep deprived. at least i would get things done NEW
by: Anonymous

I wish i could be sleep deprived, i know it sounds rediculous but i cant stay up late because i have ADD and it takes me an hour to finish a simple math problem when im tired. Or even start my homework, every time im like "hmmm ok what do i have for homework.... ooh wait does selena gomez have lupus?" and the next thing i know its 11:00 pm and i find myself looking at a page about how to care for ducks. My pill starts wearing off around 7, when this all starts. I cant turn in most of my homework on time and my grades are dropping. I cant find time for me to do things like read, write, draw, design fashion even. I have an interest in all these things and sometimes i wish i could go to public school. But when i was in public elementary i literally thought the worst thing in the world was having more than 1 page of math a night. Now i have about 40 math problems a night and a math video that teaches all this. idek what half of it means most of the time. ugh u get the point. im just struggling in everything i can think of and all i wanna do is either sleep forever, or never sleep at all!
Oct 14, 2015
 Enjoy NEW
by: Anonymous

I love to see people saying "Trust me"

Here's something to trust, I'm one year away from my M.D. and looking at you kids makes me not scared for you presently, but fearful for your future. Most of you are going to try and become doctors and I can promise you that med school is no break from high school. College is not easier, and the career paths that people like you all choose will make your lives a living hell.

Have fun losing your childhoods to school.

Have fun losing your adulthoods to work.

Have fun dying knowing that you accomplished nothing in respect to yourself.

Most genius group in the world and a complete failure. Still somehow unsurprising.
Oct 18, 2015
 Same thing, but IGCSE NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm in your exact same predicament, but I'm doing my IGCSEs at the moment. I'm so ready to quit but my Maths teacher told me he would tell my parents that I was failing and I am scared to death of them. It's 5am. This can't be real. Surely this shouldn't be allowed to be done to students? I have never stayed up past 10pm of my own will, and this is a devastating blow to someone who is already doing shit at Maths. Can someone help me? At all? I have no idea how I'll survive IB or Uni.
Oct 20, 2015
 Uhhhhh NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm a sophomore and have to take IB next year, but the homework load from my school is uhhh! I sleep at most 5-6 hours and currently 4 hours... It's hard to get everything done because it takes a long time to get to school and go home. And I didn"t even mention all the clubs I signed up for!
Oct 24, 2015
 I'm not even in IB but still the same NEW
by: Mason

I have all honors and ap classes available to me, making homework at least 3-4 hours ever night. Right now, I get about 2 hours of sleep every night, and I'd probably die if weekends didn't exist. I have to read 8 chapters this weekend, annotate every page, do an assignment on every chapter. Then, make a geography pamphlet, do an entire map on south africa with political and physical labelings. Lastly, lots and lots of chemistry problems
I will probably kill myself soon, I just want to become a computer programmer, but I gotta do all these core classes, and I can't even do AP computer science or programming until later in my life. This is what I get for trying to get in a good college.
Nov 02, 2015
 It's hard NEW
by: Anonymous

I had the same problem last year. I would consistently pull all-nighters to finish homework. I took 1 AP class and 3 honors, but I'd average 4 hours of AP a night. I would average around 5 hours of sleep by going to bed at 1:00 and waking up a little before 6:00. I'd almost always sleep through my alarm, and I would miss the bus frequently. This disrupted my family, angering them, adding more tension. I go to a pretty bad public school, but my classes were very demanding. My electives were pretty easy, and English was a breeze. Math was medium, but science and my AP Social Science were killers. My Science teacher would not teach, forcing you to fail or study at home, and the AP class took tons of effort. We'd have at least 3 quizzes a week, and we would take notes or study for tests almost every night, including weekends. I am now a sophomore, taking harder classes. Last year I got straight As, but this year I decided to value sleep. I get around 7 1/2 hours of sleep a night, maintaining a 3.8 GPA unweighted. In order to sleep more, I just began to take less notes and not worry as much about tests. This probably a terrible thing to do, but I take two AP classes and have an A in one and a B in another. You only go through school once. Don't waste it studying the whole time. Just Relax.
Nov 03, 2015
 I completely understand NEW
by: Maggie

It is currently late afternoon my time, but I already know that I'm definitely going to be up super late tonight finishing all of this hw that I'm working on. I'm only a freshman in high school and already my work load is keeping me up until 12:00am most nights of the week. Plus, I have friends in older grades who just never get to do anything fun anymore because they're always doing hw. They never seem like their regular selves and are always complaining about being exhausted. Although I don't do any sports, I'm in a lot of theater productions and shows over the year, and if rehearsal goes from the end of school to 6:00, I barely get any sleep. I find this completely ridiculous for a 14 year old. The worst part about having all of this work is that none of my teachers or any of the adults I talk to care at all. Even my parents tell me to grin and bare it sometimes, when usually they're in bed hours before I am. And the fact that so many teenagers have spoken up about this just further communicates the fact that the school system needs to change and be more accommodating of it's students' health and family lives to give everyone a better experience and help the teens to enjoy their education rather than suffer from it.
Nov 16, 2015
 I feel you guys. NEW
by: justgettingthrough

I take three honors classes and two AP. I'm also in yearbook staff, which did not include in the application information that it would take hours and hours of free time. My homework is ridiculous. A few nights ago, I had 2.5 hours worth of CP art homework. ART! How does that happen? Anyway, my AP US History teacher is absolutely ridiculous. He throws so much stuff at us that is not even in the standards. That is the main pain for me, homework-wise. Other classes are tough too, though. My friends have always been amazed at how little sleep I need. Even in elementary and middle school when life was a breeze I only needed maybe six hours of sleep to wake up refreshed. However, for the past two years, even I have been sleep-deprived. Sometimes I cry about it. Everyone has a limit, and I hung on greatly much longer than most people could. I have been a great student all of my life, and have excelled grade-wise. Now, I am afraid of being judged and kicked out of Beta Club. My school is very large and competitive, so they make the GPA requirement much higher than the national average for BC. I'm also in other clubs that pressure me to excel. This situation is a viscous cycle. The less sleep you get, the harder school gets, and the more you stay up to compensate for it. I occasionally fail a test due to sleep deprivation and not enough study time. I hate it when people then tell me, "You always have enough time to study, that's no excuse." They don't have my teachers. There literally is not enough time in the day to do all of my homework AND study enough- not without letting my health slip even more, that is. Also, most people think of weekends as a break. My teachers think, "Oh, you have about five times the amount of time you have between two weekdays, what a wonderful opportunity to give you five times the homework! What else do you have to do, right?" I usually get about four hours of sleep, sometimes more, many times less. Mentally, I am depressed, unable to concentrate, I occasionally hallucinate and I'm just plain drained. Physically, my immune system sucks. My body aches, my hair keeps getting thinner, my acne is getting worse, many times my eyes are red, and my cycle is almost non-existent. If only high officials regulated health to decide how much homework teachers are allowed to give. My teachers probably wouldn't listen anyway, it seems like their life goals are to ruin ours. Looking back upon the "awesome" high school years, I will remember projects, tests, sleepless nights and being consumed by stress.
Nov 18, 2015
 I'm Tired Too...Its Not Just You! HAHA RHYMES! Anyways.. NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm sleep deprived as well my friend. I'm 11 years old. Let me repeat that. 11. stinkin. years. old. I am almost always procrastinating. I have a music quiz which will give me my grade, and guess what? I KNOW NOTHING. But! I can fix that by doing it now. It's 7:15 here, so, I will probably finish my other homework by 8:00 PM. I can study until 8:30 (Concept Isn't That Hard) And be done. Will I get an A, No. Will I get higher than a B-, yes I will! Here is what your plan should be:

Come Home

Straight To Homework

Finish Homework 10 Min Until Bed (Do IT Quickly, But Well!)

10 Min Socializing/Social Media

Bed
Dec 10, 2015
 bruh NEW
by: Anonymous

BRUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHFREAKING SNDKG BRUHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
im so tired its 5 am and i think im gonna pull an allnighter.....
guys i have no words. i wish you guys lots of sleep and rest....at least the most you can get.... <3 happy studying aghhhghhghg.
Jan 19, 2016
 OMG NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm in grd 10 present IB and tho its my own first time in IB. The thing is I just moved to Canada and si have had to move to a lot of different schools, and when I thought I wud finally settle down in this one, I realized that with the blessing of IB,there also will be the curse of learning fluent IB French. I told my teaxher about this problem, and I told her that I barely know anything in French at all, and this was her response: you were her in grd 9 and we are reviewing this stuff already so there shouldn't be a problem,when I told her about other kids having one whole year to learn something as compared to just 1 -1.5 months of review. She didn't help me out at all, and I have had such a bad mark in French that no one would believed that I actually had a 95% llast year when I had applied French. And we r supposed to take French all 4 years so there's no choice for me. I legit learned everything from the internet, which has enabled me to actually understand what's going on in French class and participate yet the the teacher thinks I'm just like everyone else leaning french since grid 4. I have to Goole translate lots of things still, but i think I'm improving and I think students like me especially who have done so well considering the fact that they are immigrants to a totally new country and not even struggling with other subjects and are not put into ESL ( English as a second langauage) deserve recognition. But this doesn't at all mean that other students are not working hard enough, in fact teachers would be taught and be trained to be teachers and not pressure cookers and they have GOTTA realize that we have like 7 other classes that we take along with their own HW, tests, quizzes, assignments, and exams plus mid terms!!.
But I mean think its partially our fault too because I have realzed that since the day I got a new phone for the first time in.my life, from being a never have procrastinated person to an all time procrastinor Is what I have becum and I, couldn't stop myself from procrastinating BC there are just was too many distractions and even when on platforms like these u see that other people have the same problems, so u do it even more to fit in and sometimes to be able to relate things to. But that's just a thought BC I have dun that.
Feb 01, 2016
 IB Pain NEW
by: Anonymous

IB here too, and tons of Euro charts due tomorrow. Best of luck to you, hope you made it out alive
Feb 04, 2016
 Oml, I can SO Relate NEW
by: Lyncie

I'm currently writing this at 3:20am in my time zone. And boy, do I get it. It's especially worrying for me, because I'm not even in IB yet. I'll be doing a special AP-College hybrid program, and I'm also taking college classes as of right now. This is normal for me. I am the only one out of my friends awake at the moment, because none of them have as many extra curriculars or responsibilities as me. I get an average of six hours of sleep, though it seems like tonight it'll be four. Great. My body's slowly getting used to it, and I seem to be a natural night owl, something that I'm so happy about. I'm still making the transition from a casual worker to this new hybrid person, and it hurts. I'm terrified for high school. I wish the best for you!
Feb 23, 2016
 No sleep for me NEW
by: Anonymous

It's currently 5am here (I have to get up at 7am) and I'm still doing homework. I'm really tired and I have a headache but if I don't do it, I'll be in trouble and my teacher will tell me off. So I'm not really in a good situation.
Feb 27, 2016
 School is killing meh NEW
by: Anonymous

I am in high school and I wanna sleep but if I sleep early, I'll fail. There's too much work and loads of requirements.Exam is fast approaching and I still need to study 11 subjects.
Mar 17, 2016
 Agreed NEW
by: Student

School takes too much time to give you much homework. On top of that, school starts early in the day. Too much homework can lead to stress, and even high-performing students with high levels of stress due to homework overload may experience a drop in grade performance. Teachers need to have moderation with handing out assignments.
Mar 19, 2016
 I feel sick urrghhh NEW
by: Anonymous

On school days I always sleep at 2 or 3 a.m. Gotta wake up 6.30 every morning.Friday night is the only night I can rest sleep as much as I can. Im editing my powerpoint right now for school work. And I have been doing this in 2 full days !!! I have OCD and this kind of work especially on editing makes it thousand times harder 😭 All of my friends finished theirs in just one sitting,but me,not even half of it done yet
Mar 22, 2016
 It's not because I'm lazy... NEW
by: Anonymous

A lot of people are naturally lazy, but I'd like to defend the people who are driven to procrastination because they feel overwhelmed and insufficient. I'm in the IB program at Lincoln Park and used to be such a good student. The first three years I had straight A's which is a huge feat considering. I got home everyday and did my homework well and got decent sleep. Even as the program intensified and internal assessments and extended essays began to loom up in the distance I did well. However senior year has been a nightmare.
Here is the vicious cycle: a ridiculous amount of homework that barely gets finished by morning --> rushed morning so breakfast is skimpy and lunch not brought --> combination of sleep deprivation and hunger makes concentration in class impossible --> homework harder to do the next night because you didn't learn in class.
This has a major psychological/emotional impact that is not always talked about. I developed this mindset that there will always be a huge pile of homework no matter how hard I work on it - like trying to drain the ocean with a coffee cup. Homework also makes me feel dumb and insufficient, so it becomes a source of anxiety and pain. Each late assignment is a sledgehammer to the self-esteem. To avoid the emotional pain, and because it doesn't seem to make a difference anyway, I procrastinate.
Movies, music, the etymology of various swear words, sleep deprivation forums, etc...
And then it actually becomes harder to focus! Like how is that possible? The more often I procrastinate the harder it is to actually buckle down and concentrate.
So then I look for fellow classmates who are even worse off then I am, because it makes me feel better. And we laugh hysterically about all the stuff we haven't turned in yet. Which makes things seem ok - maybe that lifestyle is normal.
I'm failing four classes midway through second semester senior year. My parents think I'm depressed. If you graphed my physical fitness over the four years it looks like f(x)= -(e^x). School has become a source of stress and resentment. The joy of learning has been methodically burned before my wet eyes.
I want to tell you two things. First, you CAN do it. You are strong, you are beautiful, you are intelligent, and you are NOT defined by IB or any system that calculates a person's worth on a 4.0 scale. Second, it's your choice - choose what's important to you. what do you want out of life? A 7 on the HL exam? Or sleep and relationships? Although I highly recommend graduating.

Email me at archimedes456@gmail.com to commiserate about IB or compare schools. I've always thought IB students should communicate between schools and share advice and encouragment.
Apr 20, 2016
 My Life is the Worst NEW
by: 12 year old girl

Exact same story here, the only difference we have is that i'm 12. My average bedtime every night is 1:00 in the morning, I have to be at school by 7:30
Teachers give me 10 hours of homework each night (literally). I spend my whole life as a kid not really having a chance to be a kid. Kids are supposed to play outside with their friends, spend time with their family, and have fun. Total opposite for me. The only time I actually get to come tell my family (just my mom) that I love her, it's only on Saturdays. Dinner for me is at my desk because I'm doing homework while I eat. I haven't been outside in days, only during P.E in school. Not really counting because I have sports-asthma. Is this what life for me will be like all through the rest of grade school? I hope not....
Because of the homework amounts, I wake up late, causing me to be late to school, causing detentions. I can't handle this life! I just want to be homeschooled,:(
Never get any sleep, which is unhealthy for a sixth grader. I don't even get any time in my days to take showers, so I take showers every Saturday and Sunday. All I get is Sunday morning, but then it's homework for 10 hours, yay. Sundays are actually when I get to go to bed at 9:30, like, oh, I don't know, maybe A NORMAL PERSON!!!! I need help. I get distracted easily, every time I look at a screen I just stare in to blank space for 1 hour. Oh, look, more homework for me, yay. I'm writing this at 12:03 pm. Yay for me :(
May 03, 2016
 I HATE SCHOOL!!! NEW
by: Anonymous

Hey guys, I don't have so much to say, but yesterday I had to go to sleep at midnight because I had a biiiiiiiiiiiiig research due today, which the teacher didn't even correct! You will say that it's not a bad thing, but I wake up like a zombie and I don't understand anything the whole day, plus, I become nervous, angry, and tired for the whole week, or 'till I get a good sleep.
Jul 27, 2016
 I can't even cry NEW
by: Anonymous

I wish everyone would get to have enough sleep, and get their shit homework and studies done. haha but really, that is not possible in any student's life now. we have to stick up to this shit, or you'll end up feeling crappy. and to be honest, I do not see the reason in giving us all these shits, are we going to look at a cup and start naming out like what how many atoms?? what is it's dimensioned?? come out with a math equation?? WHAT IS THE USE OF GIVING US ALL THE HOMEWORK? People say it helps with our results, oh yes I agree, but in excess? bullcrap, it'll just end up with everyone turning to pandas, our health will deteriorate, and honestly I don't see the good use of all these. I feel so tired of everything, yet I can't even break down. If I do, it's a waste of time, because I might just cry and huddle in a corner for hours. All these built up stress, and yet all of us pretending it's okay, it's killing me. Sleeping at 2-3am in the morning is normal, and I wake up at 5:30am in the morning, all the time only just finishing my homework. And seeing the comments, really you guys seem to be having it worse, I can only pray for you guys...
Aug 17, 2016
 This is bullshit NEW
by: Anonymous

Tell me how I am supposed to juggle my life, a career, homework, family, friends, sports, and still get eight hours of sleep? How do you expect me to remember anything if 90% of my focus is spent trying not to fall asleep in class? It blows my mind how schools think anyone is supposed to learn properly when we can't even get 8 hours of sleep. Wanna know why I like summer so much? Cause I get to sleep in as long as I want. Oh wait, I CANT EVEN DO THAT CAUSE I GOTTA MAKE A LIVING.
Sep 09, 2016
 OMG HOLY F SOMEONE GET THIS IN THE NEWS NEW
by: IByer GRADE 11

GIRL, i totally totally get u. I am doing the IB in this really competitive school rn and in year 1. its so hard to get enough sleep because theres just too much damn work. I have been sleeping at 3am daily too. apart from weekends, but still. i know how it feels to be experiencing IB taking a toll on u, real time. hopefully, this really further establishes that the IB course is the hardest freaking pre college course in the world. to all the universities out there, if u have a potential student who came out alive from the ib, and excelled, just accept him/her man. no need to look at extra curriculum and shit. this student is a true warrior.
Oct 06, 2016
 IB Freshman's Perspective NEW
by: Anonymous IB Student

I'm currently going through my first year of IB and already on the third week of school, my sleep slowly decreased from normal 8 hours to now like 4 hours.

At first I was like, oh, I'm going to be okay and now I'm like crying and suffering due to lack of sleep. I don't understand how people with four clubs sports and electives do it. I can barely keep up with one club and one elective. I already had to quit my sport after the first meet because there was absolutely no time to do homework.
Oct 13, 2016
 I have so much homework!!! NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm a freshman in HS in the US and I usually have 5+ hours of homework per night plus I own a horse which means 4+ hours at the stables every night. Because of hw and horses I usually get between 4-6 hours of sleep every night which is NOT enough for a growing 14 year old. Most people would say stop riding but if I stopped riding I'd probably commit suicide b/c i's the only thing that I look forward to. I haven't had time to take a shower in 4 days and I always feel like shit. If this is what it's like freshman year I don't think I want to keep going to school, I think I'd rather just drop out and be a mess.
Oct 13, 2016
 I have so much homework!!! NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm a freshman in HS in the US and I usually have 5+ hours of homework per night plus I own a horse which means 4+ hours at the stables every night. Because of hw and horses I usually get between 4-6 hours of sleep every night which is NOT enough for a growing 14 year old. Most people would say stop riding but if I stopped riding I'd probably commit suicide b/c i's the only thing that I look forward to. I haven't had time to take a shower in 4 days and I always feel like shit. If this is what it's like freshman year I don't think I want to keep going to school, I think I'd rather just drop out and be a mess.
Oct 18, 2016
 Middle schooler 5:00 to 3:00 NEW
by: Angelina

In a magnet program it sucks im deprived of sleep and I'm only 11 TGIF ppl even tho I got 9 papers to write😭 I'm in 6 grade I got sooooooo much hmwrk not jk srsly especially I'm in algebra. In case you have not noticed, I have not been speaking in complete sentences. I am very sorry. I was writing this after two papers, and I fell asleep. Although, this information is very accurate.
Nov 01, 2016
 I know how you feel NEW
by: Anonymous

This whole school year since August, still up to today, I have been sleeping less than 5 hours. Sometimes I'm doing my work, when I suddenly just pass out. Because I am so tired. I have so much homework that I can't keep up, I JUST WANT SLEEP!
Nov 07, 2016
 fun NEW
by: Anonymous

rip
Nov 08, 2016
 So tired im crying NEW
by: Anonymous

Im literally crying right now,it 10:28 and I have a research paper to write,I already stated but im no where near done i will probably be up all night.My teachers have been asking about the bags under my eyes and if i have been getting enough sleep,I only sleep for about 2-3 hours each night.I go to sleep around 1 or 2 am and wake up at 6-6:30.Note that im only in 8th grade,13 years old.but im still dying inside
Nov 16, 2016
 k NEW
by: Anonymous

I just started high school and I though all my high school friends were lying when they said they only get 4 hours of sleep. I underestimated high school and slacked off for the first two weeks and then i realized I had like 8 bajillion things due tomorrow
I can totally relate and i'm tired of being tired .
Nov 17, 2016
 so much homework to late fall asleep doing it NEW
by: sloan

i fall asleep all the time when doing homework at 12:00 at night.
Jan 12, 2017
 American schools in a nutshell NEW
by: Anonymous

wake up ultra early literally at the crack of dawn earlier than your parents, fall asleep in class get in a crap ton of trouble, get like 5 minutes to eat lunch, rush to next classes, barely make it through school, get at least 4 hours of hw, stay up till midnight or later no matter how early you start, get at most 6 hours of sleep, repeat. This is American schools in a nutshell.
Jan 12, 2017
 omg NEW
by: Anonymous

not ALL american schools mate. ALL IB SCHOOLS (wherever the heck they are exist on earth)IN A NUTSHELL.

BUT THE LEVEL OF ACCURACY REGARDING YOUR WRITTEN STATEMENT IS DEFINITELY WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER A WELL DEFINED MEANING OF THE SUFFERING THAT YOUR ARE GOING THROUGH IN THIS GIVEN TIME PERIOD.

LOL
Jan 17, 2017
 Sleep instead of h/w NEW
by: Anonymous

I feel you. I'm tired of hardly sleeping. My routine is horrible and I'm sure some people out there have it even worse. My school starts at around 7. My ride comes at about 6 so I have to wake up at about 5 something since my brother an I share a bathroom. When I get to school, I take out h/w that I couldn't complete the night before and try to do as much as I can; resulting in ugly writing, lots of mistakes, etc. After that, teachers continuously give us more work. Tired from the night of non-stop h/w, the moment I get back I nap. Not that it's my choice. I end up doing my h/w at night which just starts the cycle all over again. I'm a new student in my school and the class was already getting started on group projects. Teacher wanted to be fair so she assigned me to a group. Next thing I knew, I was basically doing 3/4 of the damned presentation. Not only that but I only received the contents of the presentation today as well as the people who I was assigned to do for. Tell me? Is it really wrong to pick sleep instead of h/w? I feel like I'm about to explode! In a bad way...
Jan 19, 2017
 Count the minutes NEW
by: Anonymous

Hi I'm a sophomore and like the rest of you in the comments have a huge homework load and hardly sleep.
The only advice I can try to give to you is figure out what homework you have due before/after lunch or before/after extra or elective classes.
I only do the homework I know is due before these times, and then work on the rest during lunch or during elective classes, time I have during the day. "home"work doesn't have to be done at home ;)

Also if you have time the day before, then if you have a few extra minutes at the end of class, start tonight's homework.

It may not help too much, but something like that works for you.. its saved me a few hours before.

Also, if its pages of notes or a ton of pages of something, its likely to be a completion grade, so don't spend as much time on those if you can.

Hope any of this helps?!

Feb 01, 2017
 Sleep is for the Weaklings of the IB Program NEW
by: Anonymous

Sleep is something I have a fond memory of, but quite unsurprisingly cannot recall happening anytime in the last few years. I am currently a Junior in my IB school's DP program and besides the occasional no-hw weekend I am usually up until 20h00 doing homework because I can't get my ships together and I procrastinate like it's an Olympic sport. AND to top it all of I have IB Orals in two weeks which I need to study for, but I can't because like the bloody idiot I am, I am procrastinating. Even now I'm on this website when I'm supposed to be doing homework. Jesus Christ I'm a not so hot mess. Arrrrgggghhhhh why am I like this. I almost wish I went to my low-key high-key shoddy home high school instead of the amazing IB program one I begged my parents to let me attend. What is my life. I'm on the corner of self-hatred and procrastination. Please send help.
Feb 10, 2017
 I dont know what to do anymore NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm really really scared just thinking about the amount of work i have to do today and tomorrow and then day after. I'm in the IB too and the amount of work is honestly suffocating!
Feb 24, 2017
 Ugh... NEW
by: Anonymous

Ok, I know I'm only in 7th grade, but I feel you. I have 7 and half hours of school with 7 and a half hours of hw. It's so annoying. And since I'm in honors classes, it doubles. Last night my schedule went like this:

Wake up: 7:00

School: 8-3:30

Hw: 3:40-1:00am or longer

Also, Sometimes I have play practice or softball. It sucks! Right now I have good grades. It's 4:00am right now and I have an info-graphic to finish. Fun? I think not! Everything is blocked on my computer and I can't email my teacher. I'm so tired that I can barley keep my eyes open. Please help me!
Feb 27, 2017
 Procrastinator NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm a 10th grader doing the IB in Spain. I really really need help, like it's so bad. Basically I never ever do my homework, I hand in everything a week later, if they're major assignments maybe 3 days later. I have never handed in anything on time and I really don't know what to do. I'll get 5 hours of sleep on average and I don't even do my homework. I block all social media accounts, I don't have my phone, yet I still manage to distract myself in every way possible (I'm writing this while I have 20 assignments overdue). I don't know who will see this but I really need help its so bad.
Mar 21, 2017
 Help me NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm in 7th grade with a ton of homework. it's 12:20 am, I start school at 7 and I still have to do 3 different assignments. I never get sleep and I'm starting to fail, help.
Apr 05, 2017
 Same NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm the same. Except I'm in eighth grade and I have no idea how I'll handle high school since I heard it's worse. It's 3 am where I am and I still need to finish my English project and my algebra homework. My grades are slipping to become worse and worse. I have no idea what to do at this point. I'll probably just end up failing my tests tomorrow and have my parents and teachers telling me I just need to try harder. There's too much pressure and I feel like everyone is doing so good with it all yet here I am.
Apr 26, 2017
 Oh look, my fellow IB students NEW
by: Anonymous

I used to think that joining the IB program would show that I push myself and that I'm smarter. It is now April and all I have learned is that those who join full IB don't care about their health. Don't get me wrong, I like my classes. But I also like volleyball, having a social life, and volunteering. It seems like these days college is looking for people who can balance all of these. Most of the people I know who are in full IB are having an extreme amount of activities to please the college admission gods and let us into a new and exciting world. I, however, just want to sleep more than four hours a night and stop freaking out whenever I hear the word "homework", so count me out.
Apr 27, 2017
 FML I HATE HOMEWORK NEW
by: Anonymous

I am currently in 8th grade, and my homework load has been so much in this school. Yesterday, i was doing homework until 2:00 in the morning, and when i woke up i was incredibly sick. I still have to finish studying for a Biology Quiz, study for my upcoming AP examination, a Chemistry test, An Econ Test, A Geometry Test, and a huge English Project due. I can't stress the amount of homework i have to do, and i am incredibly sick because of sleep-deprivation. I used to be a straight A student who got a 4.0 GPA for almost every grade. Also, the raised the GPA overall, so an 85 - 87 is considered a 3.0. This year has been my worst year, as i have been bullied constantly, sleep-deprived, and i have been trying to work through school days incredibly sick. This year, because of the homework and the people in this school, i am barely able to pass with a 3.0 GPA this whole year.
Apr 27, 2017
 FML I HATE HOMEWORK NEW
by: Anonymous

I am currently in 8th grade, and my homework load has been so much in this school. Yesterday, i was doing homework until 2:00 in the morning, and when i woke up i was incredibly sick. I still have to finish studying for a Biology Quiz, study for my upcoming AP examination, a Chemistry test, An Econ Test, A Geometry Test, and a huge English Project due. I can't stress the amount of homework i have to do, and i am incredibly sick because of sleep-deprivation. I used to be a straight A student who got a 4.0 GPA for almost every grade. Also, the raised the GPA overall, so an 85 - 87 is considered a 3.0. This year has been my worst year, as i have been bullied constantly, sleep-deprived, and i have been trying to work through school days incredibly sick. This year, because of the homework and the people in this school, i am barely able to pass with a 3.0 GPA this whole year.
May 05, 2017
 Ugh IB NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm an IB freshman going in to sophomore year in a couple months and I'm feeling the heat already. While the grade plan can be life saving, its no easy task. I wouldn't say that i am sleep deprived, but if I know I have an assignment the next day, even when I try to sleep my body won't give me more than a few hours of rest. I constantly end up with resting at 12am and waking at 5am the same day. Im a huge procrastinator but I always get the job done, i wish my body would understand that and LET ME SLEEP!
Sep 06, 2017
 homwork is killing me NEW
by: Anonymous

I have done 2 all nighters on one piece of homework
I'm not even half way through it yet
Sep 11, 2017
 It's 2:39am on a Monday, and I just wasted a whole weekend. NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm glad to know I'm not alone, but I'm also startled by just how many of you are doing the same thing. I have never pulled an all-nighter, but I am a heavy procrastinator. I just wasted a whole weekend doing nothing but watching dumb YouTube videos and now I find myself in a bit of rut. I lied to my parents faces too, saying that I had been doing work, and they found out (I just got my DL on Friday, and it's already been taken away). Oh the wonderful times ahead. I also saved all of my math and spanish HW for my morning free period tomorrow, which I don't know what I would do without.
Sep 12, 2017
 READ THSI NEW
by: Anonymous

I know what you feel like I am in 8th grade and have 61/2 hours of homework per night and I go to a public school. This is affecting my mental mindset and I am having panic attacks every night because of the amount of homework is ridicules. Just stay strong and be positive.
Sep 29, 2017
 this is all great but NEW
by: ethan

so we've stated the problem now lets find a solution how do we solve this the ideal fashion would be to get teachers to stop doing so dang much work but how if we could get the majority of kids in the school you are in to stop we could plausibly do it however when i said majority i mean 80% to 100% and there are some other kinks that would have to be addressed. there are other ways but no matter how many studies are done that show it is bad to give teens to much work the work load only gets worse and worse and we can't do anything or at least so it seems if you have any ideas please state i am desperate
Nov 02, 2017
 Too much homework NEW
by: Sara

I'm an 8th grader that goes to normal public school and I have not gotten more than 6 hours of sleep in the past two months. I used to put on mascara and makeup every morning but now my morning look is bags under my eyes and really pale skin. It's 1 in the morning and I have two more assignments that could take me 3 hours or more.
Nov 08, 2017
 School is killing me NEW
by: Anonymous

I'm only a freshman in highschool, and I have been on high School for barely 1/4 of the school year and I only get about 3 hours of sleep per night. Just lately, I have bags under my eyes and white hairs growing out of my head. I'm only 14, this should not be happening yet. I'm laying here at 10 pm, unable to sleep or even close my eyes because I'm focused on work and grades and how many projects due and tests on Thursday and how I can manage to cram info into my brain during my free hour (lunch, when I am never able to eat because I'm working on school work during lunch). The only reason I found this page and am writing this comment is because I looked up " How to go to sleep when you have a shit ton of homework due in two day". I am going to research how to call asleep now, because (like I said before) I can't.
Jan 19, 2018
 Hi NEW
by: Anonymous

Ok so I’m in 7th grade and last night I got 4 hrs of sleep and tonight I’m going to have to pull another all nighter. I have at least 4 hrs of homework but it also takes me about an hour of laying in bed for me to fall asleep so that means it will be 5:00 by the time I am done. I have midterms this week and next week so the four hrs of homework doesn’t include studying. And I need to get up at 6:30 and that means I will only get 1:30 mins of sleep
Feb 10, 2018
 too relatable NEW
by: Anonymous

i take 11 subjects and each teacher seems to think that i have no other work set. i'm technically homeschooled (i go to an online school) and my day starts around 9am and finishes at about 8pm and that's just lessons. the problem is that i start making a list of homework that i have and it totally stresses me out, not to mention that i have to do notes outside of class and i just do not have the time. i'm also a huge procrastinator and my sleep cycle is wayyy out of balance. being a teenager is so tough honestly why did i ever want to grow up. by the way i know i'm procrastinating as i write this but to be honest i'm starting to not care anymore. good luck to y'all we're all in the same boat.
Feb 22, 2018
 I relate. NEW
by: Athena

SO, I'm an eighth grader- I don't really understand the pain of high school yet. Anyways, when I was in 5th grade, I was so stressed (in 5th grade) that I developed a hair loss disease/disorder called alopecia areata. Basically, I lost most of my hair. Then in 7th grade, it finally grew out and I got my hair cut to match it. I've always been stressed, and have physical symptoms aswell. I've had them my whole life. SO, 7th grade was probably the worst middle school year for me. I missed 2 months of school all together due to my stress/stomachaches/anxiety. Each of my middle school years I've had honors classes. So a lot of work is not new for me. But, boy oh boy, I have a horrible social studies teacher that makes us do 5 assignments the night before our exam the next day. I've been trying to get more sleep this year, but with all of my exams and having to not turn in my work late AND my science far project, my sleep schedule is getting worse. Also, my parents don't understand my math, and I live in two houses (my parents divorced, and remarried to my step mom and step dad- which I now have 4 stepsisters- on top of my actual two siblings, you get the picture) so its very stressful to keep up. I actually got into my county science fair, which means more work. I can't keep up, and my hair is starting to fall out again. I always look stressed out, and anxious. My mom said that homeschooling or online school would be better, but I really wanted to have a social life. So, I said no. Now I am contemplating asking her again. None of my friends are going to my highschool, so I guess it will be better. I'm slowly trying to take my health before school. Also, sorry if my response is hard to follow- I have a tendency of kinda jambling things together when I'm stressed. THANKS MR BECKER I DESPISE YOU (that's my Social Studies teacher). Okay good luck everyone hopefully I can tell my mom about online school. (If its any better). I'll keep you posted.
Feb 22, 2018
 I relate. NEW
by: Athena

SO, I'm an eighth grader- I don't really understand the pain of high school yet. Anyways, when I was in 5th grade, I was so stressed (in 5th grade) that I developed a hair loss disease/disorder called alopecia areata. Basically, I lost most of my hair. Then in 7th grade, it finally grew out and I got my hair cut to match it. I've always been stressed, and have physical symptoms aswell. I've had them my whole life. SO, 7th grade was probably the worst middle school year for me. I missed 2 months of school all together due to my stress/stomachaches/anxiety. Each of my middle school years I've had honors classes. So a lot of work is not new for me. But, boy oh boy, I have a horrible social studies teacher that makes us do 5 assignments the night before our exam the next day. I've been trying to get more sleep this year, but with all of my exams and having to not turn in my work late AND my science far project, my sleep schedule is getting worse. Also, my parents don't understand my math, and I live in two houses (my parents divorced, and remarried to my step mom and step dad- which I now have 4 stepsisters- on top of my actual two siblings, you get the picture) so its very stressful to keep up. I actually got into my county science fair, which means more work. I can't keep up, and my hair is starting to fall out again. I always look stressed out, and anxious. My mom said that homeschooling or online school would be better, but I really wanted to have a social life. So, I said no. Now I am contemplating asking her again. None of my friends are going to my highschool, so I guess it will be better. I'm slowly trying to take my health before school. Also, sorry if my response is hard to follow- I have a tendency of kinda jambling things together when I'm stressed. THANKS MR BECKER I DESPISE YOU (that's my Social Studies teacher). Okay good luck everyone hopefully I can tell my mom about online school. (If its any better). I'll keep you posted.
Mar 22, 2018
 UGH WHY NEW
by: Anonymous

Hello. I am writing this at 11:23 PM and i don't know what to do. I am doing a social studies assignment that is due tomorrow and we have the most strict teacher i could imagine. (some kid literally got in trouble for "being too happy" in her class) She assigns projects once a week, and i'm starting to get less sleep. HELP
May 16, 2018
 Is this for real? NEW
by: dad

My daughter goes to sleep at 1 AM every day! I hear some of her friends 'all-nighters' once in a while.

Teachers dump 7-8 HW packets meant for college students on high schoolers with zero effort in teaching the material. Students are expected to watch Youtube video to teach themselves.

I feel email/Google class room has made this worse. Kids now check their Google class room before going to bed just to make sure the teacher didn't post any new home work. More often then not there is new Home Work.

All this HW is making students dumb. They have no time to think outside of the HW.
Sep 14, 2018
 Death by IB NEW
by: Annamarie

I applaud you all for even having the strength to stay up until 3 am. I’m an IB senior and I’m not even doing full diploma like some of the kids who want to go to Ivy Leagues...I’m doing this thing my school made up called IB Associate that’s basically full IB but less CAS hours, 2 less IB exams, and no extended essay. I usually get so tired around midnight that I can’t keep my eyes open anymore, so I set my alarm for super early in the hopes that I’ll get some homework done...my AP Calc teacher gives us almost a hundred math problems per assignment, and my Chinese teacher expects my pronunciation to be amazing because I try hard in that class, so it takes me longer to do voice recording assignments. On top of that I’m a leader of two clubs and I volunteer at the library and im a cross-country captain..we run 5 days a week and I still pack in the gym sometimes, so I get to homework around 7 pm. I literally gave up on becoming a doctor because I don’t want to deal with this constant stress in the future.
Oct 21, 2018
 Too much Homework NEW
by: Anonymous

Many teachers do not know that students get a lot of homework, also sometimes students get homework in each class.
Dec 19, 2018
 My sleep deprived IB daughter fell asleep at the wheel
by: Dad

I commend you students on your ambition and work ethic, but it saddens me to hear all the stories of young people suffering with extreme sleep deprivation and endless work commonplace with this program. I think too excessive, unhealthy, unbalanced and even dangerous.

I strongly caution you to be careful operating a motor vehicle while sleep deprived as my daughter (an IB Junior) this week fell asleep at the wheel going to school and wrecked her car. Fortunately, she was uninjured but she could easily have severely injured or killed herself or another. She had also just passed through an active elementary school zone and fell asleep driving through an intersection, drove onto a concrete median and ran over a large steel road sign which did over $3000+ in damages. It also absolutely traumatized her. Imagine waking up confused while crashing in a moving vehicle, unable to see through smashed windshield and unsure what the car is going to hit next. We got an hysterical phone call no parent wants to get. We didn't know if she was injured, dying or what--awful.

My daughter has always been a top achiever in academics and sports and is very driven and responsible like all of you. She learned about this program on her own and wanted it badly (we are not high pressure parents, just encouraging). My wife and I were supportive after learning about the academic and college preparatory benefits.

I am less of a fan now after witnessing all the suffering she is consistently going through trying to keep up with the program and also be a normal, well-adjusted, social teen. In our situation, it could have cost her life or another's.

I think pushing oneself to achieve and explore limits of endurance is great for growth, but this program seems to be a bit 'too' excessive for the entire duration. Even Navy Seal 'Buds Training' sleep deprivation training only lasts a week vs 2-years.

On average, she studies every school night until 1-2am and I recently discovered she is often up until 3-4am (she also gets up for school at 5:30am). She is also disciplined and does not good off and procrastinate.

She sets 3-alarm clocks and sleeps through them everyday to the point that my wife or I have to check on her every morning to make sure she gets up. A month ago, one morning she literally could not stay awake and was almost delirious and had a breakdown crying that she is just so exhausted and can't do it. She confessed she had averaged only 2-3 hours of sleep a day for multiple days in a row studying!

I told her this was unhealthy, unsustainable and dangerous and assured her I get it if she wants to quit. If she got behind the wheel in that condition, she was putting her and other lives at risk.

I had her stay home that day to catch up on needed sleep and advised her if she wants to continue with IB she really needs to drop one or more of her other activities as it is not sustainable. She was distraught with having to drop something she loves and also gets development value from. I do not feel IB supports the development of well-rounded individuals and also allows health down time.

So many assignments seem to be total waste of time of focus on low value subject matter (i.e. analysis of the beat structure of Irish Folk music or obscure factoids about the Byzantine Empire).

Sadly my daughter often does not know useful 'real world' common sense information--what watt LED bulb replaces a 40 watt incandescent in her bathroom or basic laptop and printer trouble shooting.

My advice: Don't drive if your too tired, tell a parent your just not safe to drive and ask for a ride or pull over for a 20-minute cat nap and be late.

As for IB, it has it merits and serious drawbacks. Don't get caught in the trap of feeling like a failure if you cant keep up, maintain a high GPA or just don't enjoy it.

The most important thing is to discover what you love and become an expert at it because experts generally always make a nice living. But also take time to relax, connect with others and care for your health.

Nothing is worth losing your life over!

Much success!

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Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

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