A great sleep schedule is key to a healthy lifestyle and can benefit your heart, weight, and mind.

Sleeping can improve your memory. While asleep your brain is strengthening memories or skills you’ve learned. According to health.com it is called “consolidation,” which is the act of making something stronger.

For example, if your trying to learn a new language like Spanish, or your are trying to enhance your skills in a sport like tennis, you will perform better after some sleep. Obviously this will help high school students earn higher grades because it will be easier to focus and concentrate.

¨I get about six hours a night. I feel fine the next day if I have coffee, but if [I don’t have coffee] I’m usually exhausted,¨ says freshman Courtney Philpott, who is getting about two hours less sleep than the eight hours that are recommended.

Getting adequate sleep can make you live longer, and not sleeping enough can shorten your lifespan. It can also affect the quality of life. If you don’t  get enough sleep in a night your whole day could be ruined. It can change your entire mood.

¨I probably get about five to six hours a night, since we get up so early in the morning. I get really tired in school and it’s hard for me to focus¨ says sophomore Theresa Hurteau.

If you get fewer than six hours of sleep per night it could raise your blood levels of inflammatory proteins. This is linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging.

¨Usually I get eight hours of sleep and I’m a little tired, since we have to wake up so early, but I’m awake throughout the day¨ says sophomore Rachel Goodrow.

Getting a good night’s sleep can improve your creativity. Artists, musicians, and other creative people should get at least eight hours per night. After consolidating memories and making them stronger, your brain will reorganize and restructure them while you sleep. ¨Researchers at Harvard University and Boston College found that people seem to strengthen the emotional components of a memory during sleep, which may help spur the creative process,¨ says Health magazine.

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts need extra sleep for recovery. When muscle is broken down, deep sleep aids in the healing process and leads to growth. Sleep helps one’s speed and accuracy when running, swimming, or playing any sport.

“I take naps every day after school to prepare for two hours of dance each night. When I don’t have a nap, I can definitely tell the difference. I crash early. I then have to drink stuff with caffeine in it,” says junior Anna Belculfine, who only gets about five hours of sleep per night.

While Belculfine has to nap regularly in order to be ready for dance class, sometimes afternoon napping can lead to less sleep at night.

Experts also recommend the following to ensure a good night’s sleep: exercise daily, invest in a comfortable mattress and pillow, and avoid looking at screens before bed.

It also helps to go into another room and do something relaxing until you are tired.