Sleep is one of the most important biological processes vital to human health and well-being. Nevertheless, a lot of teenagers don’t get enough sleep, which can negatively impact their academic performance and social interactions, as well as their physical and mental health.
Teenagers who often don’t get enough sleep have sleep deprivation. Only around 15% of teenagers satisfy the National Sleep Foundation’s guideline to receive 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Many variables, such as changes in their biological rhythms, changing school schedules, and social demands, contribute to the sleep deprivation that many adolescents endure.
This problem has become one that is receiving more national attention with time, especially in our town. For example, there have been student surveys administered throughout schools in Massachusetts that have found that depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety are correlated with sleep deprivation. Therefore, it has become extremely important for people to understand the impact of adolescent-based sleeplessness and its implications long term.
The natural shift in the timing of adolescents’ circadian rhythms, which control the sleep-wake cycle, is one of the main causes of sleep deprivation in adolescents. The biological clock driven by the circadian rhythm tends to slow down during puberty, making it more difficult for teenagers to go to bed at early times. Factors like using electronic devices, which can postpone the onset of sleep, can increase this change. Teenagers’ normal sleep cycles may be hampered by the early morning start times of many high schools, and students may end up staying up later and rising earlier as a result, which can cause chronic sleep deprivation. In the past few years, the Hopkinton Public School system has made some drastic changes that have been of benefit to the students. By pushing back the school start times, it has allowed students to compensate for some of the sleep they may have lost from the previous night. Lastly, social demands can further exacerbate adolescents’ sleep problems. Teens may experience peer pressure to stay up late to socialize, study, or engage in extracurricular activities, which prevents them from getting enough sleep. Furthermore, the rise of technology and social media has further made it difficult for adolescents in our community to put down their devices and find sleep.
Sleep deprivation in adolescents can have a variety of detrimental effects. The most common repercussions include a negative impact on cognitive abilities like memory, attention, and executive function, all of which are crucial for academic success. Lack of sleep has been associated with a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues in teenagers. Teenagers who lack sleep may exhibit more aggressive, impulsive, and irritated conduct, as well as difficulty controlling their emotions and actions. Adolescents who lack sleep are more likely to be involved in accidents, especially car wrecks, and they may also be more inclined to engage in dangerous activities like drug and alcohol usage.
In addition to the cognitive impacts of sleep deprivation, some other diseases and conditions can arise from a lack of sleep that begins at a young age. For example, lack of sleep is associated with decreased hypothalamus function, an essential structure for energy expenditure. Therefore, it results in an increased risk of developing obesity. Even more so, sleep deprivation has been correlated with changes in A1C levels, an essential biomarker for Type II diabetes. Such conditions have only been on the rise as adolescent-based sleep deprivation becomes far more common.
Fortunately, there are several actions teenagers may do to enhance their sleeping patterns and lower the likelihood of sleep deprivation. Adolescents should refrain from using electronic devices for at least an hour before bedtime to encourage relaxation and lessen the effect of blue light on their circadian cycles. To promote sleep, adolescents should create a sleep-friendly environment and aim to make their bedrooms calm, cold, and dark. Adolescents should refrain from ingesting caffeine or other stimulants in the evening and remain consistent with their sleep schedules. Adolescents can try practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindfulness meditation to promote relaxation and reduce stress.
Ultimately, society needs to pay more attention to how detrimental sleep deprivation is to early adolescents’ lives and concentrate more on prevention strategies to reduce long-term conditions, diseases, and effects. In a community like ours at Hopkinton where we incentivize our students to strive for success, it should become of utmost importance to emphasize developing healthy sleep habits and providing opportunities for the students to better their sleep.
Nandita Ramesh and Srilakshmi Venkatesan are students at Hopkinton High School working on a project that studies the significance of teenage sleep deprivation and its long-term effects.
