Sleep Deprivation is an Epidemic Among Teens

 By Eitan J. Goldberg

Sleep deprivation has been an ongoing issue in America in recent years, especially amongst teens. There are many consequences of sleep deprivation such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, poor grades, drowsy driving incidents, and anxiety to name just a few of the concerns associated with sleep deprivation. 

Today, we are going to speak about how sleep deprivation affects teens academically. According to Stanford University, “The most recent national poll shows that more than 87 percent of U.S. high school students get far less than the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep each night.” Now you might be wondering if sleep is so important then why would 87 percent of teens be sleep deprived? The answer to this is quite complex. There are so many factors that lead to students not getting enough sleep. First off, one of the biggest reasons is technology and the use of social media. This is a big distraction to many students with apps such as Tik Tok has taken lots of time away from students whether they are watching or making or liking various videos, this all cuts into their sleep. 

Another reason is school and extracurricular activities. A lot of time students spend is either in school, sports or extracurricular activities. Some students get home at seven with four hours of homework. This is a major issue. Another cause is time management and procrastination. Many students wait until the last minute to hand in assignments. This causes them to stay up late finishing the last assignment. Many students do not know what they are doing to themselves. There was a study done by Columbia University that found that if you fall asleep within five minutes of hitting the pillow that you are sleep deprived. How many of us do that? There have also been countless studies from universities such as Harvard, Yale and John Hopkins that have proved that sleep deprivation is directly correlated with poor academic performance. Neurologists have explained how the brain needs sleep so your cognitive memory is able to function. This is what helps us remember information, so without it, we would not be able to score well on our exams. 

There are many solutions to this issue. One of the best and easiest solutions is simply getting enough exercise. You should also turn off your phone a half hour prior to going to sleep. Make your sleep schedule constant for example do not go to bed at 11pm on Monday but then 2 am on Tuesday. Finally, if you are having severe issues with sleep deprivation you should contact a psychologist or your doctor as soon as possible.