Sleep may seem like a memory of the past for many high school students with midterms and transitioning into a new semester. This time of immense stress ushers in a whole new wave of all-nighters and sleep-deprived teens. When balancing extracurriculars like sports and clubs on top of studies, the idea of going to bed at 8 to get the recommended 8 to 10 hours sounds ridiculous. The ubiquitous message that teens need more sleep comes off as overdone, but lack of sleep continues to impact the 42 million teens in the United States. Not enough people value sleep as much as eating and finishing homework, but many need to re-evaluate this mindset, particularly when considering their own sleep debt. Sleep debt is the number of hours of quality sleep people lose each night, which racks up over time, resulting in a plethora of consequences.  The most terrifying is that it’s next to impossible to regain lost sleep no matter how many hours you sleep in on a Saturday. Most teens already have irregular sleep patterns, so sleeping in makes things worse as it throws off a person’s inherent circadian rhythm. 

The circadian rhythm, contrary to popular belief, has nothing to do with the sound that cicadas make. The circadian rhythm is the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle that runs every 24 hours. Teens experience a shift in their circadian rhythm during puberty, creating a common tendency to sleep late and wake up later. Since most schools have a very early start time, kids who wake up early have their circadian rhythm thrown out of whack. Combined with both social and academic responsibilities, it’s no wonder one study found that only 15% of teens get at least 8 ½ hours of sleep on school nights. As teens continue to lose sleep, there are extreme consequences on their emotional and physical wellbeing. Increased chances of memory loss, inability to comprehend information and depression reveal the importance of sleep to the developing brain. Sleep-deprived teens are also prone to drug use, skin problems, weight gain, drowsy driving, and stunted growth. 

Trying to repay what appears like an insurmountable sleep debt is not a hopeless effort. Getting more quality sleep is a must as is setting a regular sleep schedule to help your body find the right hours of sleep. There’s no need to add four hours immediately, but 15 additional minutes of sleep each night will help you acclimate to a natural sleep schedule. Naps are also a great way to combat sleep debt, but only if you take power naps between 20-60 minutes as any longer can make it more difficult to sleep at night. Other suggestions include drinking less caffeine, a consistent bedtime routine, and finding ways to effectively use time to complete tasks so you can sleep earlier. Try to keep tech out of your room since the blue light emitted from devices hinders your body’s ability to fall asleep quickly. Sleep deprivation and teenagers are often synonymous. However, this needs to change as the effects of lack of sleep are swift and debilitating. Thankfully, sleep debt carries no interest, so the balance can be overturned.