The Negative Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

Adolescents and adults need around 9 hours of sleep daily (De Souza 5). Since schools are starting so early, they can not get the needed sleep time, eight to nine hours. Even though teachers go to school the same time as students, consequences are worse in students and it seems to have more of a critical effect on students. No matter if it is a student or a teacher, the quality of sleep is very important for everybody.

Adolescents today face a widespread chronic health problem: sleep deprivation. Research shows that getting enough sleep is a biological necessity. Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Teens are among those least likely to get enough sleep; while they need on average 9 1/4 hours of sleep per night for optimal performance and health and brain development, teens average fewer than 7 hours per school night, and most report feeling tired during the day (Nationwide Childrens, 2003). The root of the problem is early school start times.

Sleep is a very important part of our life. The right amount of sleep is important in how productive our day turns out to be. Early school hours are causing children to not get enough sleep and making the children vulnerable to depression, anxiety, weight gain, lack of focus, and being late to school. Adolescents need between 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. However, they are not able to get that because by the time they fall asleep at night it is past 11pm, and then they have to get up for school around 6am. The solution is to start school at a later time. Good sleep would mean that students will be more focused and productive in school.

If students come to school with their brain’s not fully functioning yet because of the lack of sleep they had gotten, it would be extremely difficult to do any work. This can lead to low test scores and an impact on their grades and scores. In Source A, Nancy Shute states, “We truly believe that our teenagers are getting six to seven hours of sleep a night, and they need eight to 10.” (page 1). Many teens aren’t getting the full sleep that they need. Instead they are losing three to four hours of sleep. This amount of lack of sleep can cause student’s to be tired while they are at school. Although there have been many reports insisting that teens should be getting eight to ten hours of sleep, only 15 percent of high schools have embraced the change and made their school start at 8:30 or later. Even worse the percentage of high schools that are starting before 8 a.m. is 40 percent. Some may argue their point that middle and high schoolers can sleep at an earlier time to gain the sleep they lose, but pediatricians say that as children become teenagers their sleep-wake cycle changes. According to Source A, Nancy Shute states, “As children become teenagers, their sleep-wake cycle shifts two hours late, so it’s

Research shows that sleep is a necessity for everyone, especially teenagers. When starting school a little later, students can get at least 2-3 hours of extra sleep. With a 7 hour day at school, a couple of hours of homework, studying, and after school activities, there is not much time for sleep. With the extra sleep, when students get to school, they would be focused and ready to learn! “A common belief is that adolescents are tired, irritable and uncooperative because they choose to stay up too late or are difficult to wake in the morning because they are lazy, a study noted. Educators tend to think that adolescents learn best in the morning and if they simply went to sleep earlier, it would improve their concentration” (Schaffhauser 2). For all of these reasons, it is very important for teens should sleep.

It is recommended to get a good night’s sleep so that you are not tired the next day, sometimes even irritable. Losing sleep on a regular basis can lead to sleep deprivation which then can lead to anxiety, maybe even depression. Teenagers are recommended to get at least eight to ten hours of sleep at night to function better the next day. It is important for students to make sure they get the amount of sleep they know they

Everyone knows, or has heard, that on average teenagers should obtain at least 8 hours of sleep, and some even say the minimum should be 9 hours. However, “according to the National Sleep Foundation, only 14% achieve this goal, and approximately 70% of adolescents obtain less than 8 hours of sleep on a typical weeknight,” says Ph.D. holder Dr. Julie Boergers. Currently, only about 40% of US high schools start before 8:00 A.M. and many even start at 7:30 A.M. or earlier. To add on, many teens now days work part time jobs starting right after school, and some of them don’t return home until 11:00 or 12:00 p.m. Of course, this doesn’t take into consideration the homework a student has from school, so on average adding two hours, most teen would go to sleep at 1 or 2 at night. This only leaves about 4 to 5 hours of sleep for many teens. With only four to five hours of sleep in a student’s schedule there are many problems that can come. For short-term effects, lack of adequate sleep can affect the ability to learn and retain information, mood, judgment, and may increase the risk of injury, or a serious accident. In the long term, sleep deprivation may

Students who get at least 10 hours, deal with everyday situations such as academics better, (Nudo, L. 2002). In a study, only 15% of teenagers reported to getting at least 8 ½ hours at a minimum each night. Research conducted that almost 46% of teens are sleepy during the day and 56% have trouble concentrating in school, (Wysong, P. 2007). Not getting enough sleep can not only affect performance, but their emotional well being as well. Absence of sleep can make adolescents grumpy, moody, insensitive, angry, and stressed, (Foster, R. 2013). Students who are regularly tired have lower grade point averages than more awake students. While schools might think it would be difficult to bump the starting time for school, it could highly increase academic performances in high

    There have been many studies over the course of a few decades that show that sleep impacts the brain, and the brain impacts mental health. Sleep heals your body, and helps to prepare you for the next day’s work. However, most adolescents don’t get the sleep that their body desperately needs. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that 13 year olds generally need 9-11 hours of sleep, while 14-17 year olds need 8-10 hours. These guidelines are especially important to

Since technology has become more about of society there has been a trend in people who are not getting a full night’s rest. According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, “at least 40 million Americans suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders” (Sleep Disorders and Sleeping Problems”). There are several causes for the increase in lack of sleep or sleep deprivation; which include, using electronics late at night, using your bed for more than just sleeping, and anxiety.

Not enough sleep correlates directly with the quality of work students offer in the classroom as well. Conditions due to lack of sleep include: concentration difficulties, mentally ‘drifting off’ in class, shortened attention span, memory impairment, poor decision making, lack of enthusiasm, moodiness and aggression, risk-taking behavior, slower physical reflexes, and reduced sporting and academic performance (“Teenagers”). To many, this is a very eye opening list and further proves that students not obtaining enough sleep at night should not be taken light heartedly. Imagine the improvement a single hour of sleep would lead to for our school systems and specifically our students. If teenagers could focus more, remember better and not come across as edgy then school days would go smoother, grades would be higher and the hallways would be way more peaceful. All of which would contribute to a much nicer and enjoyable high school experience.

It is estimated that only 15 percent actually get these amounts (Kids Suffer from Sleep Deprivation). This is particularly important for students who wish to do well in school. Dr. Carl Hunt, the director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, is spearheading a sleep campaign. Her philosophy is, “Sleep well, do well.” This is something that shouldn’t be taken to lightly. Sleep problems effect about 70 million Americans of all ages. Teens often have problems with daytime sleepiness. The old idea of early to bed, early to rise isn’t necessarily the best answer. Society is simply asking to much of teens (Sleep experts to teens). A combination of school, work, study and leisure, leaves very little time left for sleep. Being deprived of sleep definitely has an effect on how well students do in school and may be putting their health at risk. College students who stay up all night to study for a test or write a big paper that’s due often have no choice because of the pressures to do well and succeed, but at what price do they pay?

Many people don’t understand how important sleep is. “One aspect of brain health that has been well examined through neuroimaging and cognitive testing is the influence of sleep on the brain. The findings are indeed a wake up call with regard to the impact on focus memory, test performance, mood, and high risk behaviors.”(Willis 1). Throughout

Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest factors in children’s behavior. There are a number of reasons for children to get a good night sleep. It is not only important to adults but it is crucial in kids. Physical activity and cognitive thinking do well together when a child gets enough sleep (Sleep is Important to Your Child’s Health, 2012). The effects on a child’s sleeping habits can be profound in a negative or positive way. People show sleepiness in different ways and children have an even bigger spectrum on signs of theirs. It is up to parents, guardians, and teachers to really understand the importance of sleeping habits and the benefits of a child that is well rested.

Children that have trouble getting to sleep at night can suffer greatly in many areas due to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can also lead to a weaker immune system due to lack of bodily rest. This could also slow down brain growth due to it being active too often. The best way to help the child is to first realize what the main cause of the problem is and seek professional help for that specific disorder. Having a schedule for night time and keeping it consistent could possibly help aid in improving the child’s complications in sleeping.