Sleep Deprivation and Effects on Teens

On average, teenagers should be sleeping from 9-10 hours a night, but most only sleep 6-7. Many argue that while they aren’t sleeping the recommended amount of sleep, it isn’t affecting them in the long run. They’d be wrong.

Juliann Garey’s article for the Child and Mind Institute, “Teens and Sleep: The Cost of Sleep Deprivation” states “With studies showing that 60 to 70% of American teens live with a borderline to severe sleep debt, we need to know how going without their recommended (optimal) nine hours a night affects them.” Sleep debt is the mental and physical effects that people collect over time after long periods of little to no sleep.

Each year, there are around 100,000 drowsy driving incidents, and over 50% of the drivers are between ages 16 and 24. Sleep deprivation can be fatal, especially for teens.

There is a myriad of symptoms of sleep deprivation, and a few of them are heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, depression, memory and learning challenges, emotional distress, increased production of stress hormones, irritability, and other mood changes, decreased productivity, difficulty with focus and concentration, and worsening of existing symptoms of mental or physical health. As you can see, drowsiness isn’t the only thing that comes from staying up at night.

A lot of this isn’t the fault of teens, for the most part. Some of it has to do with big workloads, early school start times, long work hours, and responsibilities. But there are things you can do to sleep better.

While you might not find this solution ideal, turning off all devices an hour before bed helps your brain adjust, allowing for quicker and more restful sleep. Showering three hours before bed and stopping all consumption of food two hours before sleep both have the same effect and will allow for easier rest. Having a set sleep schedule that is followed every single day, even on the weekends and breaks, also helps with sleep.

While there are many things that teenagers cannot control that affect their sleep, there are also quite a few they can, and the more on top of things you are, the easier it gets.