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**Teenage Sleep Deprivation **



= Introduction =

Beep beep beep beeep. Beeep beeep beeep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppppppppppppppppp! That annoying alarm clock will not shut up. You feel like an angered grizzly bear woken from your peaceful hibernation. Now you have to go to school with half of your body trying to stay awake to navigate yourself to your first class, while the other half is fighting to go back to bed. When you take a look around you probably are not the only person fighting this battle. You make up the army of teenage zombies starving for sleep. Not only can sleep deprivation effect a teenager's health but it can also affect them emotionally and create many social problems. To better understand how sleep deprivation affects teenagers, one must look at the causes. =**Causes of Sleep Deprivation** =

Why do teenagers always feel so tired all the time? "A Drexel University study found that only 20 percent of 12 to 18-year-olds studied got the recommended sleep on school nights" (Strauss). There are many reasons why teenagers are suffering from sleep deprivation. The first problem is teens have very busy lifestyles. To begin with the average school day is very long. In addition many students' after school hours are booked with sport practices and games, jobs, clubs, and who could forget homework. The use of electronic technology often occupies much of sleep-deprived teenagers' time as well (Epstein). Teenagers very own biology makes them feel tired all the time. "Researchers over the past decade have learned that a teen's body is different than those of younger and older people" (Strauss). "Most teens can't easily fall asleep until about 11 p.m., experts say, and their brains stay in sleep mode until at least 8 a.m. This is very detrimental to teenagers because schools usually begin before 8:15 a.m., and many teens have to wake up much earlier to make sure they are at school on time (Epstein). A teenager's diet can also cause many teens to feel very tired throughout the day. "Taking caffeinated soda and energy late in the day add to sleep dept" (Epstein).

= = =Effects of Sleep Deprivation =

Obviously sleep deprivation can make teenagers tired throughout the day, but sleep deprivation has many other harmful effects that can cause physical, emotional, and social problems. "Lack of sleep can be especially deadly for teens; car accidents are the leading cause among adolescents, and safety experts believe drowsy driving is a major factor" (Epstein). Sleep deprivation harms teens in many aspects of their lives. Socially teens who suffer from sleep deprivation can treat their friends in an unwanted manner. "When you're feeling tired you're more apt to yell at friends or lose your patience" (Wysong). When teens are sleep-deprived, an angry monster seems to take the place of them. "Even a brief spell of sleep raises their chances of feeling irritable and anxious, and experiencing minor ill such as headaches and stomach problems" (Epstein). Sleep deprivation also has very serious health effects. Sleep deprivation will increase the chances of teens becoming sick. "The number of T-cells--cells which help us stay healthy--fall by 30 to 40 percent" (Strauss). Teens who are sleep-deprived have more problems with learning, behavior, and controlling their moods. It can later lead to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, and a shortened life span later in adults (Epstein).

=**Possible Solutions for Sleep Deprivation **=

Sleep deprivation affects many different aspects of teens' lives. Teenagers for the most part live very busy lives and they don't have forever to solve the problem of sleep deprivation. There are many solutions to help teens who suffer from sleep deprivation. These solutions are not time consuming, and teens just need to make small adjustments in their life to end sleep deprivation. In a larger stage some schools have tried using later start times for school. For the most part the schools that have experimented with these start times have had successful results. Teens in these schools have had more sleep, increased attendance, and less driving accidents (Epstein). Caffeine is a huge reason why teens suffer from sleep deprivation. Caffeine makes it harder to fall asleep at night, and it will increase fatigue during the day. Limiting caffeine intake will help many teens improve the amount of sleep they get (Epstein). Your lifestyle can have a huge effect on your amount of sleep. It is important to have a healthy diet, and also to avoid drugs and alcohol. It is also crucial that teenagers should exercise (Epstein). Bedtime for teens can be a very long time from the moment they walk into school. Naps after school can provide sleep that teenagers did not get during the night. However, teens should not nap for too long; teenager's naps should not exceed 60 minutes. If teenagers nap for too long it may make it more difficult to fall asleep later in the night (Epstein). Ending distracting activities such as television, video games and online chats before bed can also be helpful. These activities delay the sleep process because the screens' bright lights can hinder the production of melatonin, the body's sleep hormone (Wysong). Though the effects of sleep deprivation seem to weigh teens down, there are many steps that teens can take to increase the amount of sleep that they get, and put an end to sleep deprivation. =**Survey** =

**EPWORTH SLEEPINESS SCALE** In contrast to just feeling tired, how likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations? (Even if you have not done some of these things recently, try to work out how they would have affected you.) Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation. 0 = Would never doze 1 = Slight chance of dozing 2 = Moderate chance of dozing 3 = High chance of dozing
 * ~ Situation ||~ Chance of Dozing ||
 * Sitting and Reading || ||
 * Watching TV || ||
 * Sitting inactive in a public place (i.e. theatre) || ||
 * As a car passenger for an hour without a break || ||
 * Lying down to rest in the afternoon || ||
 * Sitting and talking to someone || ||
 * Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol || ||
 * In a car, while stopping for a few minutes in traffic || ||


 * A score of greater than 10 is a definite cause for concern as it indicates significant excessive daytime sleepiness.**

Survey provided by: []

=** Websites **=  This site contains interesting studies that were done to understand how teens are effected with sleep deprivation. []

Visit this site to learn general information about sleep deprivation. []

This site provides strong information on the effects of sleep deprivation. []

Check this site out to learn more about sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders. []

This site contains information about how sleep deprivation and depression can be linked together. []

=**Work Cited**= Epstein, Lawrence; Mardon, Steven. "Homeroom Zombies". //Newsweek //. 17 Sep 2007: 64. //eLibrary //. Web. 04 Feb 2010. Strauss, Valerie; Washington Post. "Why teens suffer from too little sleep". //Edmonton Journal //. 06 Nov 2009: B15. //eLibrary //. Web. 04 Feb 2010. Wysong, Pippa. "School daze: turn your ZZZ's into A's.(YOUR BODY)." //Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication.// 34. 1 (Sept 2007): 18(5). //Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center//. Web. 04 Feb. 2010.