Sleep Deprivation In Teenagers

Sleep deprivation is a pensive problem for teens in America, over ninety percent of teens in American high schools are sleep deprived, so how can not receiving enough sleep affect teens?

As a result of a changing body and mind, adolescent sleep cycles have different needs than those of adults or younger children. As a matter of fact, Biologically, 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 pm (“Teens”). In addition to biological change in sleep patterns, teenagers also tend to have eccentric sleep cycles. Obtaining less than healthy hours of sleep during the school week and then catching up on their sleep on the weekends. Most teenagers during the school week, do not get the suggested amount of sleep. In fact, according to a recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 80% of teenagers do not get the suggested amount of sleep of 9 hours on school nights (“School Start”). With changing bodies and minds, along with an increased amount of schoolwork and extracurricular activities, teenagers need more sleep than children of a younger age. Experts believe that moving back the start time of school for high school students will improve grades, test scores, and the overall health and personality of many students.

This scholarly journal article deliberates the necessity of sleep and the phenomenon that adolescent children are suffering from a lack of sleep. The loss of sleep can negatively af-fect a teenager’s academic performance, driving capabilities, cognitive abilities and more. Bryant and Gomez provide recommendations for combating the sleep deficiency with teens, which includes their caffeine intake, establishing specific bedtimes, and the use of technology. The authors reference several other articles done specifically on the use of electronic devices and their effects on a person’s ability to sleep.

To begin, school starting as early as it is, teens don’t get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep is affecting the body negatively. Teens usually get six to seven hours of sleep but Dr. Cora Breuner says, “ We truly believe that our teenagers are getting six to seven hours of sleep a night, and they need eight to 10 (Shute).” Sleep deficit is what most teenagers face. Teens try to redress this by consuming caffeine. Caffeinating to get through the day or trying to sleep more on weekends cannot fix this problem (Shute). In fact it makes it worse.

According to Nationwide Children's Hospital the average teenagers thirteen to eighteen should get up to nine and a half hours of sleep each night. Based on a survey The National Sleep Foundation held only 15% of teenagers got the amount of sleep they nee, and 90% of teens are sleep deprived. Most of those teenagers reported they only get six to seven and a half hours of sleep each night. If not getting enough sleep each night it can cause a weak immune system, hallucinations, mood swings, and grades to go down. Now my grades are good and I don't really get mood swings or hallucinations, but I'm constantly tired all throughout the day. In each class I find myself not paying attention, I try my hardest, but I'm tired and sometimes don't understand what any of my teachers are talking about, it's like sometimes they are talking in a foreign language. My solution for this is to get to bed earlier and to stay off my phone when I should be sleeping.

Experts suggest that teenagers should at least have between 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, as this will help function their body and brain at a normal pace . Whilst adults can function properly with a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, on the other hand teenagers on average need about 8 hours of sleep to function best the next day. Based on a recent survey, it was found that an alarming rate of 75% of the participants sleep, on an average of 4 to 6 hours regular on a school night. On the other hand only 0.01% of the participants get the suggested hours of sleep on an average school night. Another finding from the survey participants stated, that some of the other factors that diminish the quality and quantity of sleep are that most participants stated that studying late at night is one of the main factors that effect their sleep. Whereas, involvement in extra co curricular activities least factors that effects the participants sleep. It is important that teenagers get the suggested amount of sleep, as this will allow for the mind and body to recharge and function promptly. Therefore, as experts suggests that to get consistent sleep, teenagers must avoid caffeine 4 hours prior to bed, and don’t eat or drink 2 hours before bedtime. Do not perform any physical exercise or other stimulating activities at least an hour before going to bed. Do not have excessive homework during the hour of your bedtime and leave your electronics devices outside your bedroom, as you will not be provoked to use

Technology such as smartphones and tablets are becoming more accessible in this day and age, and their effects are theorized, but unknown. Adolescents can be seen almost anywhere with one of these devices in hand. Small-screen devices can affect many things, but one of the most concerning is the alterations that devices have on adolescent sleep habits. Since technology is so popular and doesn’t seem to be declining in use, it is important that we understand how they affect the population, whether it be positive or negative. Since adolescents are in the process of going through puberty and new biological processes are occurring, they are more susceptible to changes in their sleep cycle. One theory that was posed by Judith Owens, et al., was that “...exposure to relatively low-intensity light can alter circadian rhythms and suppress nocturnal melatonin secretion” (Owens et

Approximately eighty percent of respondents from “Sleep in America poll” said high school start times should start no earlier than 8:00 A.M. (“School Start Times and Sleep”). Many teens face the natural struggle of not being able to sleep at night. Sleep is a very important part of life and it’s even more essential for teenagers because the body performs key functions while asleep. The lack of sleep in teens is impacting them negatively by not allowing their brains to function to their full potential causing poor eating habits resulting in obesity and diabetes, poor performance in academics, and car accidents.

Teen sleep deprivation (lack of sleep) is in a constant increase, as teens are exposed to various forms of technology and other social media sites, but why would the increase in sleep deprivation among teens affect them in their daily life, such as school performance? One of the main concerns with sleep deprivation in teens is that “Sleep is believed to reinforce learning and memory, with studies showing that people perform better on mental tasks when they are well-rested” (Richter R. 1970, October 08), which reinforces the question to this study whether lack of sleep has an impact on school performance among teen 13-18 years old, in america and weather there is a possible correlation between the hours a teen sleeps and how well they do at school?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, fifty percent of American teenagers are not getting the sleep needed to have a healthy, and productive school year. Although, going to sleep at a proper time is a personal choice, there are many factors that can play a role in preventing teenagers from getting the suggested nine and a half hours of sleep every single night, including weekends. In my opinion too many teens resort to, hanging out with friends, working or staying up late to do school work, instead of going to sleep at a proper time. Natural physical body changes are also reasons of lost sleep in adolescents. This essay will discuss what sleep is, the many reasons why teenagers lose sleep, and ways to get better sleep. (NSF)

Alarm clocks are arguably the worst sound in the world. People across the globe dread the penetrating sound, for it lures them out of sleep. In most cases, sleep is interrupted hours before the brain has achieved adequate Non-Rapid Eye Movement rest. Teenagers suffer from sleep deprivation due to the early school start times. The teenage body functions best between the hours of 8:30am-11:00pm, yet schools start earlier than 8:30am. Five out of six schools throughout the nation start prior to 8:30 AM, and the average start time for American high schools is 8:03 AM. Due to this, two out of three high school students are getting less than eight hours of sleep because of their school’s start time. Inadequate sleep is dangerous to the human

Not everyone has a sleep cycle, which can lead to harming the body. Sleeping cycles are a benefit for health in many ways such as school, work, injuries, and other health concerns. It can be very hard to have a regular sleep cycle when there are many other important needs. Lack of sleep can lead to health risks such as, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, sleep disorders, immune and circulatory complications, and hormones (Epstein, 2007). Many teens have the tendency of staying up to late to do homework and then waking up early to go to school. This is the reason why many teens don’t have a sleep cycle, and acceptable health. About 60% of people under the age of 18 complain of being tired during the day, and around 15% of them fall asleep during the day. As a result to this many schools have made the start time later, teens are able to have extra sleep, and a be successful in school (National Sleep Foundation, 9/21/15). A growing teenager needs a total of 8-9 hours of

Most teens do not know what sleep deprivation is, it occurs when a person fails to receive enough sleep at night. A teen need nine hours of sleep to not feel sleep deprived also to be well alert and rested for the next day. It's more than important to manage enough sleep for the next day or experiences regarding the effects of sleep deprivation will occur. Many teens definitely have experienced sleep deprivation and may not have known how serious it is along with how bad it can affect them. Teenagers need to be aware of what causes sleep deprivation so that they can avoid its short term including long term effects.

As children grow, they begin to naturally prefer going to bed at a later time in the night and wake up later in the day (Kirby) however, schools do not reflect these changes in their start times. Research has shown that teenagers require almost the same amount of sleep as they did as children (Backgrounder). Teens are the least likely age group to get enough sleep, averaging around 7 hours per night instead of the required average of 9 hours. Sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, diabetes, and in some cases, can increase the

At one point in your life, whether you're in your late thirties or adolescent years, you may experience sleep deprivation be it crucial or mild. So, what exactly is sleep deprivation? Well, sleep deprivation is simply not getting enough or no sleep at all. Jane E. Brody, a reporter of The New York Times, states that “the average adolescent needs eight to nine and a half hours of sleep each night,” but studies show that only fifteen percent of juveniles get the recommended amount of sleep. It's no surprise that two in three teens are likely to be “severely” sleep-deprived, especially during finals week.