According to the website, Mental Health America, seasonal depression affects about five percent of the American population yearly. Sometimes it is referred to as “the winter blues” and is not talked about enough. For students, it can be a huge part of their daily lives.
From waking up before the sun rises, to coming home after sunset, students have minimal time in the fresh air and sunshine. This may lower their serotonin levels, making them feel less energetic. Another cause of this tiredness and “feelings of blues” may be from the melatonin hormone being disrupted due to the shorter daylight hours in the day. Teens are recommended to get at least eight hours of sleep a night, but with the melatonin hormone being confused with timing, it may be extremely difficult for teens to fall asleep and then to wake up so early in the morning.
When a group of students were asked how many hours of sleep each night, the numbers ranged from as low as four hours to as much as seven and a half hours; none that is enough for the recommended amount for teens to get.
On the other hand, some students are getting too much sleep while still feeling extremely tired. When asked about her motivation, Kyleigh Paige, a senior at Nonnewaug High School, explains a major reason as to why her interests are dropping and her hours asleep are increasing.
“When I get home, all I want to do is sleep,” explains Paige. “It’s dark out and my body just wants to sleep when it’s dark.”
This is a major issue for a lot of students; sleeping too much and not making time for homework or studying, in turn, lowers their grades.
Kenzie Scully, a junior at Nonnewaug, and an athlete outside of school, feels the effects of seasonal depression on her grades and motivation for her sport. She explained this and how it directly affects her grades.
“I have no motivation to do anything after I get home from practice and will sit in bed for hours until I fall asleep,” Scully explains. “I went into the winter with my lowest grade as an 89, now my lowest is an 82.” For some, that may not seem like a huge jump, but for juniors, it can drastically affect their GPA along with their grades for college to see.
Being less motivated may seem like a small, insignificant feeling for some, but for others, it can drastically affect their daily lives.
“I don’t have a lot of motivation to honestly do anything including work, school, hanging out with friends, and even simple things such as waking up in the morning,” Paige explains.
A lot of people think of seasonal depression as something minor and unimportant, but for many it is a huge part of their lives.
At the end of the day, seasonal depression is not spoken about enough and can drastically influence a student’s daily lives and grades.
