Sleep Deprivation and High Achieving Student

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Always good to break them in in high school so they once they get to their 70-hour a week burn-out job they don't know the difference. treadmill after treadmill.

Your opinion does not count because you do not have a high achieving student. So let me ask, why are you commenting when it does not pertain to your child, nor you have any experience with it? You are ignorant and pathetic.

Sour grapes?

[Anonymous]

OP, I was at RMIB many years ago. It was a great program and I was absolutely prepared for college, but unfortunately, my main memory of high school is the relentless exhaustion. I still remember the sound of my alarm going off at 4 am so that I could get a little more studying done before school. 6-7 hours would have been a lot of sleep to me. In retrospect, there was a very unhealthy worship of brutal exhaustion and sleep deprivation for the sake of academics and demanding extra-curriculars. I hope the culture has changed a bit.

If I could do it all again, I would get more sleep. It’s a downward cycle, because a tired child can’t study as efficiently, so they stay up late trying to catch up, and then they get even more tired. Just as a side-note, a tired teenager doesn’t always make the best social choices, either.

Sit down with your daughter and really talk about different effective study habits. How I wish someone had done that for me. Help her choose a system she can buy into and consider setting a sleep schedule that she absolutely MUST stick with for most nights. She may not get everything done, but she’ll learn to prioritize and she’ll be alert enough to actually learn what her teachers are teaching her. The PP’s nap idea might be a good one.

I definitely second the exercise and healthy foods comments, but I would still have her participate in some household chores. It will help her be part of the family and a responsible person, and remind her that her value doesn’t lie solely in her grades.

[Anonymous]

From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

So sorry to hear that. Was your kid in a magnet program? Which one?

[Anonymous]

Truthfully, no one should enter a magnet program (especially a HS magnet, where GPA counts) without a plan to be very focussed towards fitness, sleep, nutrition and rest. You cannot be a super-student if you are not entering the program with a plan to be your best physically and mentally so that you can get the best out of the program. Frankly, in life, you cannot be a super achiever, a super parent, a super worker etc - if you do not treat your body very well. Since there is no extra time in the magnet program to waste, most students who are not well organized in their studies and in their health will suffer (at least physically).

To draw a parallel, in the navy there is the basic training and then there is the training for Navy Seals. If a regular HS program is like doing the basic training then doing the magnet program is like training to be a navy seal.

If your child is not the athletic type get them into some exercises that they can do at home - treadmill, yoga, breathing exercises, stretches etc. You cannot expect that you will have the routine of a regular HS kid and do the magnet program. You have to do more work and endure more physically and mentally, so you have to be strategic. I was watching a documentary about Tom Brady and the amount of work that man puts in every day to be at peak physical condition is the reason he is still a top athlete at 40.

So being in magnet is all about having a strategy for studying and being focussed & taking care of your body and your brain. It also helps if you are not starting the program with areas of weakness academically. Yes, even top MCPS students have gaps in knowledge because of the terrible curriculum and other classroom issues. Use the summer to review past learning and maybe even get a bit ahead for the next year. Magnet programs are not the best if you are playing catch up in knowledge gaps. Be honest and strategic and be prepared to move down a level in your choice of courses if it is too hard for you (ie - no need to do calc in the 10th grade, don't take all APs, don't do SAT subject tests if your target schools do not ask for it). Interestingly, I know a few students who actually took the easy health and tech courses during the school year. It allowed them to have an easy class in their schedule and they were quite happy with that. Yes, a lot of the socialization and leisure time will be curtailed. It is inevitable in the program. Health and academics takes precedence over video games and social media.

My magnet kids do not have chores during the school year. They do chores during summer. Both my kids can do laundry, iron clothes, cook food, sweep, vacuum and mop. This is not rocket science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

Do the parents who stay up work? I have a magnet child and get up very early to commute. No way I am staying up to help or make tea! If they are in a magnet they should be quite competent to manage on their own in the wee hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

So sorry to hear that. Was your kid in a magnet program? Which one?

PP isn’t going to say to protect privacy. There aren’t that many students in magnet.
PP how is your child doing now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

So sorry to hear that. Was your kid in a magnet program? Which one?

PP isn’t going to say to protect privacy. There aren’t that many students in magnet.
PP how is your child doing now?

But we are assuming that it was aagnet, correct? I fail to see how anyone would know who the child is? There have been many students and many years of magnet graduates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

Do the parents who stay up work? I have a magnet child and get up very early to commute. No way I am staying up to help or make tea! If they are in a magnet they should be quite competent to manage on their own in the wee hours.

I work but I am able to cook and drive my kid to school. I have adjusted my work schedule to do the morning shift. I tried keeping awake to show support and that was incredibly hard. I would suggest parent and students make health and sleep a priority. Parents need to get their rest to support their children and everyone in the house must do their part. My DH and my ILs all of us do the car duty. We also carpool a lot. Thankfully, other magnet parents are amazing - SAH or WOH or WAH. We all pitch in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

Do the parents who stay up work? I have a magnet child and get up very early to commute. No way I am staying up to help or make tea! If they are in a magnet they should be quite competent to manage on their own in the wee hours.

I work but I am able to cook and drive my kid to school. I have adjusted my work schedule to do the morning shift. I tried keeping awake to show support and that was incredibly hard. I would suggest parent and students make health and sleep a priority. Parents need to get their rest to support their children and everyone in the house must do their part. My DH and my ILs all of us do the car duty. We also carpool a lot. Thankfully, other magnet parents are amazing - SAH or WOH or WAH. We all pitch in.

I work, cook, and drive too but do not stay up late so my kid has company..my parenting ends around 10 except in emergencies of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

Do the parents who stay up work? I have a magnet child and get up very early to commute. No way I am staying up to help or make tea! If they are in a magnet they should be quite competent to manage on their own in the wee hours.

I work but I am able to cook and drive my kid to school. I have adjusted my work schedule to do the morning shift. I tried keeping awake to show support and that was incredibly hard. I would suggest parent and students make health and sleep a priority. Parents need to get their rest to support their children and everyone in the house must do their part. My DH and my ILs all of us do the car duty. We also carpool a lot. Thankfully, other magnet parents are amazing - SAH or WOH or WAH. We all pitch in.

I work, cook, and drive too but do not stay up late so my kid has company..my parenting ends around 10 except in emergencies of course.

Same here. I tried keeping them company and it did a number on my energy level. I totally sympathize with OP. Now I am in bed by 8, sleeping by 9. Kids and I finish dinner by 6 or 7 pm latest. After that there is ample healthy snacks available for them to graze on but they also know that they have to hit the bed.

[Anonymous]

You have to shift your priorities. As parents, we also severely limit our own social engagements during weekends. This is so that we are available to drive them for their events and we do not overextend ourselves. It is important for everyone to be rested.

[Anonymous]

I personally love snow days. Anytime school is closed unexpectedly it is a boon for my magnet kid. They can sleep in. Its better than christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally love snow days. Anytime school is closed unexpectedly it is a boon for my magnet kid. They can sleep in. Its better than christmas.

OP here- agree 100 percent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I see most kids survive sleep deprivation. And, from our family’s experience, when your kid is up late working, you just want to help so you end up sleep deprived too. But it really can cause serious mental health problems. Sleep deprivation was the trigger for a major psychotic break for my high schooler which led to almost an entire year of missed school and multiple hospitalizations.

Do the parents who stay up work? I have a magnet child and get up very early to commute. No way I am staying up to help or make tea! If they are in a magnet they should be quite competent to manage on their own in the wee hours.

Whoa, doesn’t your child get up early for school?

Why can you justify going to bed early because “you have to work” but are fine with your 14-18yr old getting 5hrs of sleep day in and out.