For any athlete, health is a top priority. Staying in shape, eating healthy and getting enough sleep are all key components to maintaining good health. However, for many student-athletes, hours of rest are few and far between.

Senior Megan Hurst begins her day at 4:30 a.m. to get to her morning cross-country practice. The team runs seven miles before school starts.

“Waking up early for runs is beneficial so that we don’t have to endure that after school we don’t have to endure the heat, but it puts a huge damper on the way we perform at school,” Hurst says. “Health-wise, sleep is out of the question.”

According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep a night.  

“Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence–meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 p.m.,” the National Sleep Foundation states. 

The irregular sleep patterns attributed to hormonal shifts are especially harsh on athletes, who are expending more energy than a normal student would. 

Whether it’s waking up early for practice or getting home late, the impact of not getting enough sleep can leave athletes in worse health than an injury would.