Sleep Deprivation
Sleep Deprivation
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On average, teenagers need an average of 9½ hours of sleep. However, most teens only get around 7 hours. According to a 2010 large-scale study published in The Journal of Adolescent Health, only 8% of teenagers get the recommended amount of sleep per night.
This is a big issue because mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety can be caused by sleep deprivation. Also, teens have noticed that their mood is linked to the amount of sleep they get. “Usually I have a headache after staying up late, and I’m more likely to get angry with other people,” said Parker Rutherford, an 8th grade student here at Harvest Middle School.
When teens don’t get enough sleep, it also makes them more likely to abuse substances. According to the study, Adolescent Substance Use: America’s #1 Public Health Problem, high school students who got 8 hours of sleep per night were significantly more likely than those who slept more than 8 hours to be current users of tobacco (22% vs. 15%), alcohol (46% vs. 34%), and marijuana (23% vs. 17%).
Sleep deprivation can be caused by many things; stress from school or mental illnesses (such as depression and/or anxiety) are common reasons. Teens also experience hormonal time shifts which cause their body clock to shift forward by about one or two hours, making them sleepier one to two hours later. This means that while most people begin getting tired around 9 or 10 pm, for teens it’s more like 11 or 12. Yet, while the teenager falls asleep later, early start times for school don’t give them time to sleep in.
If teens aren’t getting enough sleep, how will they be able to succeed and thrive in life?
I agree, I’m going to start sleeping sooner and get more sleep.
This is so true we are always in our cumputers and doing hard homework and we stay up till 1 0r 12 am just for hard homework and the next day we have to wake up at 6;30 al the time.
I like how there’s a lot of real-life information about sleep deprivation and how you are advising people that it’s an important issue.
I can agree totally. Whenever I don’t get enough sleep, I am known to get angry.
This has a lot of good facts and I think it is a good story to be talking about for middle schoolers.
thank you quinlin, for bringing light to this topic basic i know but my brother deals with insomnia and though iknow it is a legitimate issue it annoys me sometimes but having more information help!
I agree because it’s a lot of information about something that is very important,
the story was good but i might now go to sleep early.
I personally think this is all so true, most students stay up later than we need to be… most students have an after school curricular activity right after school.
After reading this, I think I’ll stop staying up so late. Watching new episodes on YouTube so late doesn’t help with my anxiety.
I didn’t know that you could get mental illness. That worries me because in college you have to stay up really late .
I do agree that we should go to sleep early.
I completely understand what this is talking about, I have done a presentation about how sleep affects your brain and growth, and sleep deprivation is really serious.
I think that teens should go to bed at 8:00 or earlier so they won’t be tired the next day if go to bed at a earlier time you be as tired
I also think i need to get more sleep time to get more energy
I think that I am going to get more sleep now
i think that we need to go to sleep early.
I agree and believe we should all get enough sleep.
I agree most of the kids stay up playing video games and that parents do care.I think we need to take action one day.
All of that is true and I usually go to sleep at 9:30 and sometimes in the morning I am to tired to wake up, but then when I go to sleep at 7:00 I feel good in the morning.
I totally agree with this. I go to sleep early and I wake up early, Then when i wake up i feel refreshed and ready for the day, Sometimes.
I agree with this fine article because being stressed out by long homework can be nerve racking. Although, homework is not the only problem, I have heard that using devises right before going to bed can overstimulate the brain. Eating before bed can also keep you up.I can get about 8 hours of sleep on a school night but I can get more. Although, I get an average of 10 hours of sleep on a weekend night and morning.
usually i dont get enough sleep so ima try to be better about that bc i have to get up at 6:30 and i get sleepy and so thats an oof my guy
That was a great arcticle, all of that is true and I usually go to sleep at 9:30 and sometimes in the morning I am to tired to wake up, but then when I go to sleep at 7:00 I feel good in the morning.
I agree, I will make sure I get enough sleep.
I agree with this article we should all get more sleep and go to sleep earlier
I agree with this article .We should all get more sleep and go to sleep earlier
i would also agree because sometimes i don´t sleep or just sleep for a Little bit.
i would also agree because sometimes i don´t sleep or just sleep for a Little bit and then i get even more tired at school
we need sleep so i agree
This article is true because we usually spend all day working on homework and not having enough time to charge our computer or get things ready for the next day so we end up in overtime so our computer can charge and we can finish our work which leads to us feeling very tired the next morning and spending the entire day with no energy which then leads to not being able to finish the work so it is assigned as homework then the cycle repeats again.
I agree because I usually go to sleep late.
I don’t like sleeping early all though its good for you I sleep late around 12
i feel that this is a good article cause it states good facts and suggestions.
I agree with the article because, from experience, pulling all-nighters is not an efficient way to get schoolwork done in time. I also enjoyed the student statement by Parker, I feel as if it gives it more connection to middle school students.
I will get more sleep.
just start school later and go to sleep early
I think this article is true because so many teenagers are so tiered and moody when they come to school. I think part of that is because they don’t wan’t to be at school but ,the other part I think is because they didn’t get enough sleep.
I think that this only applies to some people because when I stay up late it doesn´t affect me. I do agree though that it is good to get a good night sleep.
i already have been sleeping early, but when i sleep late i dont get mad or anything, anyways good article very informative