Sleep Deprivation of Students

Whether the reason being too much school work, too much time on social media, or stress in general, sleep deprivation can cause some serious negative effects on students. The University Health Center states that "Sleep is important for a number of reasons. It restores our energy, fights off illness and fatigue by strengthening our immune system, helps us think more clearly and creatively, strengthens memory and produces a more positive mood and better performance throughout the day." High School students need about 9 to 9 1/2 hours of sleep each night. However, many high school students find themselves getting as little as 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night. As students lose sleep, their school work, performance in sports, and health can be negatively affected. 

Sleep Deprivation of Students by Sam Colombo

                    

    Students’ school work can be negatively affected if a student does not get enough hours of sleep.
Many teenagers wake up anywhere from 5:00 am to 7:00 am in order to get to school on time. After 6 hours of school, they have to go home and do homework. Many students also participate in after school activities, such as sports or clubs. By the time they are done with everything, they can find themselves awake late at night. Teenagers who go to bed late tend to sleep in, resulting in being late to school. Shannon from Wilmington High School says that “Most students have 6 ½ hours of school, sports or clubs after school, and then homework; sleep is the last thing on our minds.” If teenagers don’t get enough sleep, they cannot focus completely and often fall asleep during class. This can result in teenagers doing poorly on quizzes or tests.  Studies show that only about 8% of  high school students get the necessary 9+ hours of sleep. That means 92% of students could be doing better in school just by getting the right amount of sleep.

    Not only does sleep deprivation affect school work, it can also affect someone’s performance in sports. If a student is tired throughout the day, they will not have the full energy during sports. Studies show that not getting enough sleep slows glucose metabolism by as much as 30% to 40%. Glucose is the main source of energy for athletes. It is important for athletes to get the necessary amount of sleep in order for them to perform their best during sports.

    One of the most negative affects that sleep deprivation can have on high school students is their health. Studies show that students who were limited to 4.5 hours of sleep each night reported feeling more stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted. If teenagers regularly do not get enough sleep, they could develop insomnia. 15% to 20% of people diagnosed with insomnia develop depression. It is also extremely dangerous for sleep deprived teenagers to drive. Being tired can slow reaction time while driving, which may lead to an accident.

    Taking a nap after school is one solution of sleep deprivation. However, this offers little relief to the problem. Some students may not have time for a nap. Also, they might find themselves taking a nap for an hour or two and then won’t be able to fall asleep later that night. Another solution that doesn’t work well enough if caffeine. Some students might think that if they don’t get enough sleep at night, they can have a coffee in the morning and they won’t be tired during the day. However that is not the case. Caffeine will make you awake for a short amount of time, but then you will feel tired once again. It might be a temporary solution, but caffeine will not help in the long run. 

Sources:

 

"Pix For Sleep Deprived Student." Pix For Sleep Deprived Student. N.p., n.d. Web. 2
"Sleep Deprivation - Better Health Channel." Better Health Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.

"Sleep Rocks! ...get More of It!" University Health Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
"Teens and Sleep." Sleep for Teenagers. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
"Why Your Body Loves to Sleep." Rewordit RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.