Essay Example on Sleep Deprivation Issues

Subcategory:

Category:

Words:

420

Pages:

2

Views:

246
Many adults believe that teenagers are simply complaining for no direct reason when they hear the phrase I'm tired multiple times a day However studies have shown that over 90 of American high school students are chronically sleep deprived according to a survey taken by the University of Utah in 2014 Most people contribute this lack of sleep to the early start times in high schools By setting back the time schedule for these schools teens would have increased academic performance as well as increased physical and mental health Many argue that the price of starting the school day later is too great but others think that the effects far outweigh the costs especially since a teen s body needs more sleep to thrive than the average adult Since less than 10 of teens get 8 10 hours of sleep a night the minimum amount of sleep that pediatricians around the world suggest for the age group most are chronically sleep deprived Sleep Deprivation greatly increases the probability of car accidents and the use of alcohol or drugs It also negatively affects your overall mental and physical health Physical side effects of Sleep Deprivation include weight gain weakened immunity high blood pressure mood changes and increased risks of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes

There are also multiple mental side effects such as decreased short term and long term memory the inability to be attentive increased depression or anxiety and more Dr Jeremy Dean adds to the previous list when he writes If a person suffers from lack of sleep on a regular basis they may start to experience mania Symptoms include psychosis paranoia extremely high energy levels hallucinations aggression and more Links have been found between insomnia and mental illness Unfortunately mental illness can also cause poor sleep If a person continues to find it difficult to sleep it can become a vicious circle Lack Of Sleep The 10 Most Profound Psychological Effects If a person does not get the proper amount of sleep the body will start to malfunction and eventually shut down Along with Sleep Deprivation teenagers have an internal clock as some would say that makes it harder for them to wake up earlier and go to sleep at an earlier time Doctors have claimed that Teens operate on different circadian rhythms making it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11pm Pediatricians say teens should sleep in Schools won t let them Balingit Considering the statistic that teens go to sleep around 11pm most get less than 5 7 hours of sleep Studies around the topic of sleep have revealed that biological sleep patterns change during adolescence and teens may also negatively affect their own sleep pattern Since teens are sleep deprived they tend to overcompensate by sleeping in on the weekends

This turns into a negative cycle as the teen s body can be affected by the change in their biological clock and decrease the quality of sleep adding to their Sleep Deprivation Despite the various negative side effects many schools won't change the starting times of their schedule because of the costs Many school systems use the same buses for high school middle school and elementary so starting high school later would interfere with that system causing schools to be forced to hire more buses This would cost about an average of 150 per student per year statistic from a Brookings Institution policy brief in 2011 However this investigation also estimates that the overall payoff for the students academic advancement would be equivalent to adding about 17 500 to each of their life earnings which outweighs the initial prices In fact the research shown added to the conversation, even more, saying delaying school start times to 8 30 or later would contribute 83 billion to the economy within a decade

The gains were seen through decreased car crash mortality and increased student lifetime earnings The Economic Case for Letting Teenagers Sleep a Little Later Carroll While moving back high school starting times is a complicated debate we can all agree that the amount of sleep a teen gets is important and much lower than it should be From the early wake-up calls to a teen s body fighting against it the amount of teens who so severely lack the amount of sleep that they need to function is staggering The negative effects of this extreme sleep deprivation include mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety as well as physical problems such as high blood pressure and increased risks of diabetes There are many solutions to this problem but it is a conversation worth talking about considering over 90 of teens face this issue and little has been done about So maybe next time your teen says I'm tired they might just be justified in their complaining



Write and Proofread Your Essay
With Noplag Writing Assistance App

Plagiarism Checker

Spell Checker

Virtual Writing Assistant

Grammar Checker

Citation Assistance

Smart Online Editor

Start Writing Now

Start Writing like a PRO

Start