The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Teenagers

1120 Words5 Pages
It is widely known that peer pressure, drug and alcohol abuse, and reckless driving are dangers that some teenagers may face; however, there is one major, yet less publicized problem that an increasing number of teenagers are dealing with on a daily basis. Both teenagers and adults suffer from sleep deprivation, but “the problem is most acute among teens” (Richter). Sleep deprivation is being referred to as an epidemic among experts, and it can have drastic effects on a teenager’s physical, mental, and social well-being. “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 10 hours of sleep each night” (Richter). Teenagers have “irregular sleep patterns” and they stay up late, affecting their “biological clocks” which can “hurt the quality of their sleep” (National Sleep Foundation). Schools should start later in the morning because the students need more sleep to perform better academically, teens with more sleep are less likely to become depressed or ill, and longer sleep prevents more wrecks among teenage drivers. Teenagers need more sleep so they can perform to their highest academic potential and improve their grades. “Sleep is believed to reinforce learning and memory,” and students “perform better on mental tasks” when they have the right amount of sleep and are not sleep deprived (Richter). Students cannot learn or mentally achieve their most excellent abilities in school when they are