Madalina+C.

=SLEEP DEPRIVATION =

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The neon numbers flash 2:00 a.m., a typical study session for your AP history class. As your eyelids begin to cascade over your eyes you grasp the pepsi can hoping to rejuvenate your paralyzed mind. Your efforts were worthless as the words of the Boston Tea Party blurred into a blotch of black ink that seemed to glide to the edges of your textbook and swallow you....Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Its 6:00 a.m. Those stupid neon numbers have become your rays of sunshine, hypnotizing you into a robotic and recently torturous rutine you've grown tired of. A routine most teens suffur through every morning as they struggle to endure another day as victims of sleep deprivation. But to what extent are we really torturing our bodies? Is the risk worth our attempt to grasp on to every second, to live //every// moment to the fullest? According to an inquiry released by the National Sleep Foundation, 75 percent of teenage participants andmitted to receiving less than the 8 hours of sleep recommended, especially among high shcool seniors who, on average, received only 6.9 hours of sleep. There are several factors that determine an individual's inability to obtain this required amount of rest, including their lifestyle (Belz 238). Every teen is preoccupied with an overwhelming schedule that never seems to be fulfilled. The amount of stress from schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and maintaining relationships with family and friends possesses your mind and distracts it from resting. Although, such destractions may also be subtle, whether related socially, educationally, or biologically.
 * Introduction **
 * Causes of Sleep Deprivation[[image:http://blog.teenvogue.com/connect/blogs/soundoff/lights-out-stars-sleep-thumb-233x293.jpg width="233" height="293" align="right" caption="lights-out-stars-sleep.jpg"]] **

Dr. Richard M. Kravitz determined that during puberty, an adolescent's circadian clock, the biological clock responsible for deciding sleep alterations (Belz 238), experiences an essential change that shifts their previous cycle of restlessness by an hour in advance. These resulting hormonal shifts causes the pineal gland in the brain to deliver melatonin (Adriel 553-576), a hormone affiliating with sleep onset that is created when it alerts the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) that it's dark (Sleep Drive and Your Body Clock ).  The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, a portion of the brain assembled of cells that react to light and dark, is also manipulated by artificial light. Texting or watching T.V. before sleeping can interfere with the intial purpose of the SCN (Sleep Drive and Your Body Clock).

When sleep deprived, some teens medicate themselves with a cup of coffee (Belz 238). Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant, which within 15 minutes of being indulged begins to escalate the production of adrenaline and paralyze sleep-promoting chemicals within the brain. Once infesting the bloodstream, only half of the caffeine will be expelled within 6 hours (Caffeine and Sleep), and according to Dr. Jodi Mindell, it remains longer in teen's systems than in adults (Belz 238). So, during the duration it takes to eliminate coffee from your system, you may be attempting to sleep, clueless that the sleep-inducing chemicals in you brain are being blocked.

**Effects of Sleep Deprivation ** //__Education:__// The results of a study by the National Sleep Foundation reveals that at least once a week over a quarter of high school students fall asleep during class. Rejecting your body's essential instinct to sleep just to study for your next test may damage your grade as well (Park 122). An inquery by the psychologists from the College of the Holy Cross, with contributions from Carskadon, suggested that A and B students averaged an extra 35 minutes of sleep throughout the week in comparison to those who obtained D's and F's (Adriel 553-566). Memory is a consistantly used part of your brain, among others, such as metabolism, alertness, and regulating hormones, that is restored through sleep. These functions affect performance, mood, and ability to focus (Belz 238). A crippled memory will not help you remember the amendments no matter how many times you repeat them.

//__Health:__// A report by Harvard University suggests that lack of sleep is related to a weakening immune system which leaves you more vulnerable to illness. The U.K.'s //Archives of Disease in Childhood// also reveals a possible alteration in your metabolic balance. This may increase chances of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (Belz 238).  __//Drowsy Driving://__  The National Sleep Foundation reveals that over half of teen respondants confessed to being tired while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes that tired drivers are responsible for over 100,000 crashes annually (Belz 238).

**Solutions ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 117.9%;">*In some districts, schools are adapting later schedules. Improvements were immediatly shown (although there were issues with money). <span style="color: #71ab21; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 142%;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Most teens underestimate the need for sleep. They are unaware of the damage they are inflicting upon their body. Hopefully, with this knowledge, you'll take better care of yourself. Keep in mind that for every second you try to hold on to, the slower the next ten feel. Staying up until the stars fade into the pinks and purples of dawn will actually tire you out and slow down the rest of your day. Improving your sleeping schedule will benefit your overall health and help you get trough the day more refreshed.
 * Keep a consistant bed time, even on weekends. Creating a rythem will help your body better adjust.
 * Simplify busy schedules.
 * Remove technology from your room, or avoid it before sleeping.
 * Because light stimulates your brain, flood your bedroom with light in the morning (Belz 238)
 * Six hours prior to sleeping avoid excercising ( Park 122).
 * Conclusion[[image:http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ZJXc3vRS3cuQ0M:http://disney-clipart.com/snow-white/jpg/Dwarfs/Sleepy2.jpg width="174" height="150" align="right"]]**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 132%;">** Other Websites ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">*Provides public education, sleep research, and advocacy related to sleep deprivation and sleep disorders. [] [] [] []
 * Shows how the brain is affected by sleep deprivation.
 * Provides videos on sleep deprivation and the varies affects and possible solutions.
 * Gives facts, tips, and tools to help you get th treatment and sleep you need. Also specifies on sleep problems.
 * Informs people about normal sleep, sleep physiology, and sleep deprivation.

<span style="color: #71ab21; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">**Works Cited** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">Belz, Leigh. “The Young and the Restless" //Teen Vogue// March 2007: 274. Print. Bettelheim, Adriel. “Sleep Deprivation." CQ Researcher. 1998: 553-576. CQ Researcher. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. < [] > “Caffeine and Sleep.” // [|sleepfoundation.org] //. National Sleep Foundation. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. < [] > Shin, Jane. "Lights Out." //Teen Vogue// November 2009: 122. Print. “Sleep Drive and Your Body Clock,” // [|sleepfoundation.org] //. National Sleep Foundation. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. <http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/sleep-drive-and-your-body-clock>