Sleep Deprived Athletes : The Lack Of Sleep Essay

Students need a good amount of sleep to be able to focus and get through the school day. Students ability to function during school is impacted by the quantity, regularity, and quality if their sleep (Wolfson 1). The quality of sleep is not only important for the students but it is also important for the teachers. The quality of sleep affects the way students and teachers act throughout the day. Daytime sleepiness and poor sleep quality on school days in students and teachers may comprise school and work performance (De Souza 5). Since students and teachers stay up so late at night, they tend to be very tired during the day. It is important to get sleep but it is more important to get a good sleep. There is not really a point in sleeping or trying to get sleep when it is not a good sleep because no matter what students will be tired during the day. While the quality of sleep is important, so is the amount of sleep a student or teacher is getting on school nights.

Sleep is essential for cognitive, emotional, and physical wellbeing, especially those who are developing into young adults. Proper sleep hygiene, defined as “those practices of daily living that promote good sleep and daytime function” is considered to be a rising issue among adolescent high school students.9 An average adolescent would require between 8 and 9 hours of sleep per night to be considered well rested.5 One survey of American adolescents in high school reported that only approximately 14% of those students actually received an adequate amount of sleep.10 Another study estimates that approximately one-third to one-fourth of adolescent population does not obtain adequate sleep.3 Poor sleep hygiene can lead to many factors that will negatively influence high school student’s wellbeing. Lack of sleep has been proven to be a root cause for multiple negative health outcomes, such as: an increase in depressive symptoms, sedentary behavior, decrease in emotional stability, and reduced physical development.1,5 As depressive behavior increases and motivation decreases, it leads to a significant decline in academic performance and consequently affecting daytime function.4 Practicing proper sleep hygiene and building a foundation of good habits begins with the early stage of adolescents in high school.

Lack of sleep can seriously affect students mental and physical health and can change it permanently. “Effects on one crummy night’s sleep: You feel groggy, forgetful, clumsy,” according to Scholastic Choices, When Sleep Becomes a Nightmare. Lack of sleep makes adolescents become more vulnerable to depression and obesity (npr.org). For example, when people are tired they want foods or drinks with lots of sugar or caffeine to give them a temporary boost, but it can later on affect their body negatively (sleepingresorces.com). When students don’t get the right amount of sleep they can become

Their health is affected because students may not be getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep also known as sleep deprivation can include: “weight gain and eating disorders and increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular problems, and diabetes; reduced immunity; depression; anxiety; substance abuse; mood swings; behavior problems; suicidal ideation; and potential impacts on brain development” (Why). The recommended amount of sleep for growing teens in middle and high school is eight to ten hours a night (MacMillan). The recommended amount of sleep for teenagers is difficult for many teens to achieve because of how early school starts and how late they get home from school related activities the night before. For example, if a student was in basketball they could have practice from after school to five or later, or they could have a game an hour away. After their practice or game they could have a lot of homework and need to study for a test they have the next day. Students then go to sleep late, still having to get up early the next morning and go to school to take that test. The amount of sleep also has to do with the way the teen brain works. Emily Richmond says, “Adolescents’ ‘internal clocks’—the circadian rhythms that control a human’s responses to stimuli and determine sleep patterns—operate differently than those of other age groups. It’s typically more difficult for adolescents to fall asleep earlier in the

Athletes need to ensure they’re getting enough sleep at night and should also consider how napping can contribute to their recovery.The benefits of extra sleep for athletes have been established repeatedly. Increased sleep is associated with faster reaction times and peak athletic performance.Sleep-deprived athletes are most likely “to make a risky decision that could lead to injury and also have diminished accuracy and hand-eye coordination that would have otherwise prevented injury.In addition, the sense of balance that allows you to feel your weight shifting, even when your eyes are closed, increasing the likelihood of

This doesn’t just affect grades and test scores it also affects athletes. Athletes who don’t get enough sleep are prone to injuries. Getting less than 8 hours of

Students that do not sleep well at night will struggle to maintain grades and a healthy lifestyle. Students who sleep less usually have lower grades than a student that gets enough rest. Student will feel pressured to sacrifice sleep to be in top shape for their team so they can earn the money given to them. Students who do this will wrestle with lowering grades and the inability to think as efficiently. According to ncaa.org, their blog states that colleges graduate 18 percent fewer college athletes than regular students. The main cause of this is being overworked to the point of exhaustion or to where they have to pick academics to focus on or their sport. Also according to ncaa.org In 2004 only 73 percent of college athletes graduated

Sleep deprivation is a serious concern among college students, who are "among the most sleep-deprived age group in the United States," (Central Michigan University, 2008). It is important to study the causes of sleep deprivation, or sleep disorders, among college students. According to Park (2009), "dozens of studies have linked an increase in nightly sleep to better cognition and alertness." A study by Central Michigan University (2008) found that sleep deprivation can lead to poor academic performance, impaired driving, depression, and behavioral problems. There are several variables that may affect sleeping patterns among college students. One is genetics or biological issues. It is highly

Sleep is a very important key for an athlete to perform at their highest level. Which would give us an additional reason for student athletes to be paid an allowance. A sleep deprived athlete could prove to be useless during a hard workout or in their game/meet. Studies from Dr. Eve Van Cauter show that a hormone called cortisol is higher when a person is sleep deprived. This leads to memory impairment, stress, and impaired recovery time for athletes (AboutHealth). Making it tough for an athlete to balance work, school and their sport.

However there was a positive correlation with success and sleep (Suskind). Homework can get in the way of activities that lead to better success. If the homework load is lessened, kids can have more time to sleep, which is very important to a child’s and teenager's development. Many health issues occur when students do not get enough sleep. The Medical Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School published a research article that states a lack of sleep aids in the development of diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.(Sleep and Disease Risk)The article shows that students need sleep, and with the balancing of school, activities, and home it cuts into time for sleep. With the sleep deprivation and a large workload students are very prone to health issues and stress.

Coaches should let their players get proper sleep. According to Nih.gov, “ Getting enough quality sleep at the right time can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.” This demonstrates that enough sleep can affect the way you play and it can affect your physical health. Many coaches schedule practice late and do not let their players get enough sleep and sleep is a really important part of your physical health. Coaches should adjust their practice schedule and think about how the late practice can affect their players physical health.

Almost every day high school students are waking up around six o’clock in the morning to get ready for school, some even earlier than that. Nearly every morning students are waking up without adequate sleep. If sleep is one of the most essential needs of the body in order to grow and develop, shouldn’t we be more aware of how much it affects students everyday performance? The ways in which students are affected by sleep-deprivation is precisely why school needs to start later.

Research indicates that America’s sleep problems have increased and might be the number one health problem. The average amount of sleep that people get per night can range anywhere from three to twelve hours. According to Dr. David Dinges at the University of Pennsylvania, it is a fact that people who get fewer than six hours of sleep a night do not live as long as people who get seven hours or more. Most people do not realize the importance of sleep or even realize that it is needed to survive. Many people experience sleep deprivation; however it is commonly seen in college students. Irregular sleeping patterns tend to occur in students, which can later lead to long-term effects.

Reason to Listen: University students often rely on delaying sleep for academic pursuits without knowing that the instant gratification of completed assignments and exam preparations pales in comparison to the effects on the body. Students should listen to increase awareness on the impacts of sleep deprivation and moderate sleep patterns.

Some athletes are affected with sleep deprivation, which, according to the dictionary, is is the condition of not having enough sleep; it can be either chronic or acute. A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. It adversely affects the brain and cognitive function. Being sleepy while in the middle of a match is not a recipe for success when it comes to a game. Traveling plays a small role in the huge impact that home field advantage has on the visiting team.