Snow days, why are they disappearing? Do they have a bigger effect on us than we think? Snow days have gone missing this year, February is here already, and we still haven’t had a single snow day. Even though snow days aren’t planned, living in the Northeast it is usually guaranteed. So, how come we haven’t had one yet? Even though it might just seem like an unplanned day off, snow days give everyone a break and with all the pressure of doing well in your classes and feeling drained whenever you enter the school, an unexpected break can feel like a reward.  

With snow days you get to rest and sleep in. This benefits students because according to the CDC, 57.8% of students in grades 6-8 don’t get enough sleep, and 72.7% of students in grades 9-12  don’t get the 8-10 hours of sleep that is recommended by health professionals for their growing minds and bodies. Therefore, a snow day gives students the opportunity to spend more time resting, which is good for their bodies by helping their metabolism and mind grow.  A snow day also helps with wintertime sadness and depression, and yes, that is a real issue.  

Do you ever wonder why you feel less productive, get tired oddly fast and find yourself withdrawing from social activities? This is due to the lack of sunlight and colder temperatures. 

Most students feel sadder and undergo depression and a feeling of stress and uneasiness in the winter time because there is a lack of warm sunlight.  

The researchers at Healthline say that with sunlight there is a dip in the level of serotonin that your body produces. Serotonin is what keeps your mind happy and relaxed. Not having breaks  as often can cause your mind to become cluttered and overstressed, this can lead to trouble doing your work and being productive. Snow days force you to take a day off and have some time for yourself whether you’re a high school student or a working adult.  

 There are so many benefits of having snow days, so why are they disappearing?  Some school districts like New York offer E-classes where students take school online so they don’t have to make it up at the end of the year. This sounds like a good solution because summer break doesn’t get cut short; however, are students learning by sitting  at home behind a computer, or is it just increasing their screen time?  Instead of students waking earlier on a snow day and not focusing on E-classes, it’s better to give the children a break, and the teachers will appreciate it too. 

When you were in elementary school do you remember having multiple days off from school. Did it make you happy when your mom let you sleep in or that you had no school on a snow day? Well kids today might not ever experience a snow day because of E-classes.  Snow days are gone and they might not come back anymore. What can we do to make the long weeks of school more bearable? Wait for the long breaks to have something to look forward to and take a break from your work once in a while, your body will thank you.