February

TIPS and tricks to improve SLEEP QUALITY

by ALEXANDRA BUDDENDECK

Staff writer

Sleep quality plays a huge role in your mental and physical health, however, both teens and adults tend to struggle with getting a good night's rest. This can result in negative effects on hormones, brain function, weight, and can also increase the risk of disease. On the contrary, the benefits of getting quality sleep include reducing stress, a more positive mood, thinking clearer, and can even improve your memory.

Setting a nightly routine can help to set a healthy sleep schedule, even if it includes just one or two small adjustments. “I turn off my phone an hour before bed so that I’m not tempted to go on it later at night,” said junior Susanna Lampros. A rising issue with insufficient sleep is technology in the bedroom. According to Sleep Foundation, 75% of children and 70% of adults use electronic devices before they go to bed. It is best to try and keep your room technology-free, but that can be a difficult habit to change.

Tips to improve the quality of sleep:

  1. Create a space dedicated to your electronics: Whether it be in your room, or somewhere else in your house, having a space made to put all your electronics away can help you refrain from being distracted by them.

  2. Try and set a limit on your screen time: Plenty of phones and computers already have ways to set a timer for your phones. It would be best to try and set a limit in which you can’t use your phone 30-45 minutes before bed.

  3. Do not work right before bed: “I always do my homework right before bed,” said sophomore Aidan Cruz Salang. However, working right before bed, especially when working on your laptop, can reduce the amount of melatonin you need to fall asleep.

  4. Get a basic alarm clock, rather than using your phone: Using your cell phone as an alarm clock will mean that you're getting exposed to radiation and EMF (electromotive force) fields all night long, which can affect your memory and how well you learn.

  5. Grab a book and read before bed: Senior Evie Garces-Foley said that “reading for before bed really helps me because I get to calm down my mind a bit.” Even just 10 minutes of reading before bed can reduce stress by over 50%. Other benefits of reading before bed can include an improvement in creativity, brain power, and concentration.

The tips listed above are to help your quality of sleep, but like freshmen Parker Rice said, “When I do sleep, I sleep great, it just takes a bit to fall asleep,” which can be a real struggle. While some people have no problem falling asleep, others may have severe difficulty when doing so.

Tips to help fall asleep:

  1. Get on a schedule: Your body has its own regulatory system, like an internal clock. Waking up and going to bed at the same time can help that internal clock keep a regular schedule, and once your body adjusts to this it’ll be easier to fall asleep and wake up.

  2. Lower the temperature: Your body temperature changes as you fall asleep, you cool down when you lie down, and warms up when you get up. If your room is too hot you may have trouble falling asleep, so setting the thermostat to 60-67°F could help.

  3. Visualize things that make you happy: Picturing and concentrating on an environment that makes you feel peaceful and relaxed can take your mind away from the thoughts that keep you up at night.

IB Diploma candidate checklist

by ALESSANDRA SIMMONS-ROBLES

Staff writer

The next upcoming months are packed with International Baccalaureate (IB) due dates for full IB diploma candidates. The IB diploma has a number of required components in order to be considered a full candidate, such as the extended essay, Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS), internal assessments, and IB exams. On top of the countless essays and projects, IB exams are approaching quickly. Right now, full IB diploma candidates are feeling a great deal of pressure. Here is a list of important deadlines that candidates should be aware of.


Extended Essay (January 15th): This year’s extended essay deadline is January 15th, this deadline has just passed, prayers that every IB Diploma candidate met it!


CAS (February 2nd): This year’s CAS deadline is February 2nd. Justice senior, Hieu Vu is feeling pretty satisfactory about his CAS response saying, “I think that doing a lot of community service and participating in a lot of activities through my junior year really helped me strengthen my CAS response.”


Internal Assessments: As any full IB Diploma Candidate knows, there are many Internal Assessments. Luckily, candidates only have to take one assessment per IB class. There are 23 assessments left for the year, ranging from January 22nd, 2021- April 12th, 2021. This is not counting the other 4 available to only juniors throughout late May to the beginning of June.


Exam days: "IB exams normally run during the month of May, we still don't know exactly what’s going to happen for exam taking this year,” said Justice IB Diploma Program Coordinator, Jennifer Kresse Rodriguez. These exams are very stressful, especially now that there’s been a huge dynamic change caused by a worldwide pandemic. Justice senior, Sophie Briscombe agreed. “I just feel like with the classes being online there’s a lot less preparation going on and it’s a lot harder to get in the mindset of taking an exam.”

“Don’t force yourself to do IB if you do not work well under pressure and with lots of different challenging topics," said Briscombe.


Good luck to all IB Diploma candidates reaching these deadlines!


All deadline information is from Justice IB Diploma Program Coordinator, Jennifer Kresse Rodriguez.

A list of final exam dates for the IB Diploma.