THELEADINGCAUSESOFSLEEPDEPRIVATIONIN TEENAGERS
NyaFassale
ResearchScholarsProgram,HarvardStudentAgencies.IncollaborationwithLearnwithLeaders
ABSTRACT
Astimeelapsed,itbecameclearthatteenagerswerenotgettingthenecessaryamountofsleep;thusresultinginsleepdeprivation.Anextensiveinvestigationwas conductedusinginternetresourcessuchasHopkinsMedicaltogaininformationaboutthistopic.ManysurveysfrominstitutionssuchasStanfordwerealsousedto acquiresufficientinformation.Asaresult,itwasdeterminedthatearlyschoolstarttimesledtoteensleepdeprivation,aswellashomeworkoverloadandincreased usageoftechnology Thisinformationisusefulsinceteensgothroughsignificantchanges,andinorderforthosechangestocontinue,ateenmustgetenoughsleep.Itis alsoimportantasithasbeenproventhatalackofsleepcanleadtoavarietyofmentalaswellasphysicalhealthproblems.
KEYWORDS:Sleepdeprivation,melatonin,Circadianrhythms,teenagers,emotions.
INTRODUCTION
Overtime,researchershavelearnedmoreandmoreabouttheteenagemind.Asa result,theyhaveprovedthatpsychology,especiallythatofanadolescentbrain,is afascinatingtopicduetoitsmultitudeofaspects.Severalinvestigationsinthis studyhavefoundthatfewerthan10%ofteenagersarenotgettingenoughsleep; thisisquitealarming.Asaresult,giventheseverityofthesituation,thissortof datawarrantsinvestigation.
Consequently,throughthecourseofthispaper,thereadershouldgainathorough graspoftheteenagemind.Additionally,thereadershouldbeabletofullycomprehendwhyelementssuchasseveralaspectsofschoolaswellastheincreased useoftechnologyaretheleadingcausesofsleepdeprivationduetotheirtremendousmentalandphysicaldemands.
LiteratureReview
There has been a large amount of research done into the mind of children.The ChildMindInstituteisanorganizationthatdisplaysvariousarticlesbased,onscientificresearch,aboutthemindofteens,youngadults,aswellaschildren.The articlestatesmultiplespecificcasesinwhichtwoteenagersdon'treceiveanadequateamountofsleep.Whenexplainingthisordeal,theyrevealthatthecombinationofbiology,technology,andsocietalexpectationscreatesaperfectcombinationforchronicsleepdeprivation.
AccordingtoTheChildMindInstitutes,biologyisafactorinthesleepdeprivationofteensduetothelaterreleaseofmelatonin.Technologyisalsoafactorin sleepdeprivationduetothebluelightreleasedfromthedevicethatdelaystheproductionofmelatonin.Lastly,societalexpectationwhichincludestheearlyopening hours of school, homework, and overscheduling is a huge factor in teens' sleep deprivation as teens tend to eliminate hours of sleep to attend to those needs.
AnotherwebsitethatspeaksaboutthesleepdeprivationofteensisCNN.CNN interviewed Lisa Lewis, the author of The Sleep-Deprived Teen, in which she revealedthatstress,aswellastheearlystartingtimesofschoolaremajorfactors thatcontributetosleepdeprivationofateen.Shealsogoesontostatethatthepandemic was also contributing factor also, due to the fact that this was a time in whichthementalhealthofteensplummeted.
Lewisadditionallygoesontospeakaboutthefairlyrecentimplementationofa lawthatspecificallystatesthatpublicandchartermiddleschoolsshouldstartno earlierthan8a.m.andhighschoolshouldstartnoearlierthan8:30a.m.
Thereisacorrespondencebetweentheinformationpresentedinthispaperand theinformationprovidedbythissource.
Method
Thispaperaimstorevealtheleadingcausesofsleepdeprivationinteens.Inorder toachievethis,extensiveresearchwasconducted,whichincludedtheanalysisof variousstudies.Toconveythisinformationcongruously,thebodyofthepaperis split into four main components, with the integration of four additional subsectionstobetterunderstandtheinformationbeingpresented.
WhatistheCircadianRhythm?Howisitconnectedtosleepdeprivation?
Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that operate in the background of the
body'sinternalclocktocarryoutcriticaltasksandprocesses.Circadianrhythms are primarily influenced by light and darkness. They are managed by a brain regioncalledthePinealGlandwhichreleasesmelatonin-thesleephormone.It thereforehasthepotentialtointerferewithsleep,bodytemperature,hormones, hunger,andotherbodilysystems.Thecircadianrhythmalsopreparesyourbody forpredictedenvironmentalchanges,suchasthetimeforexercise,sleep,andeating.The body's sleep and wake cycle are one of the most significant and wellknown circadian rhythms. However, when an individual's actions delay their releaseofmelatonin,theymayexperiencesleepdeprivation.
Theconditionknownassleepdeprivationoccurswhenthepersondoesnotget enoughsleep,sleepsatthewrongtimeofday,doesn'tsleepwell,doesn'tgetall thedifferenttypesofsleepthattheirbodyrequires,orhasasleepdisorderthatpreventsthemfromsleepingwell.
Whyissleepdeprivationdangerousforteens?
Individualswholacksleeparemorelikelytoexperienceavarietyofnegativeoutcomes,suchasinabilitytoconcentrate,anxiety,despair,suicidalthoughts,and evensuicideattempts.Inadditiontoitsmentaleffects,sleepdeprivationisalso linkedtochronichealthissues,suchasheartdisease,kidneydisease,hypertension,diabetes,stroke,obesity,anddepression.Itcanalsointensifyanxiety,triggeringaviciouscycleofsleeplessnessandanxietyproblems. Sleepdeprivation additionally affects many students' capacity to acquire information, therefore inhibitingtheretentionofinformation,andrestrictingtheirabilitytorecallthat information.
Furthermore,sleep-deprivedteenagersaremoredepressedandworried,accordingtoresearch.Eachhourofmissedsleepwasconnectedwitha38%riseinthe likelihood of feeling depressed or hopeless and a 58% increase in suicide attemptsinastudyofover28,000highschoolstudents.
Whyisitcriticalforteenagerstogetenoughsleep?
When the required amount of sleep is not achieved, teens start to experience symptomsofsleepdepravitywhichincludebutarenotlimitedtoslowerthinking,shorterattentionspan,weakermemory,poorordangerousdecision-making, fatigue, and mood swings which affect various other aspects of a student's life suchastheiracademics.Teenswhosleptfewerthanninehoursperdayhaddifferentbrainstructuresandgreaterissueswithmoodandthinkingthanthosewho slept enough, according to the National Institutes of Health. These findings implythatsleeptherapiesmayberequiredtoaidintheimprovementofmental and behavioral health during adolescence and beyond. Additionally, a lack of sleepcancauseimpairedbraindevelopment,learningdifficulties,andincreased unpleasantemotions.
Howdoestheearlyschoolopeninghourscurrentlyaffectteens?
Theusualteenagelatenightsandlazymorningsareoccasionallylinkedtopoor habits or a youthful drive to be cool. However, changes in the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, occur alongside the more evident hormonal changesassociatedwithadolescents.Asaresultofthedelayedreleaseofdaily melatonin,thecircadianrhythmisdisruptedduringtheadolescentyears,making teenagersphysiologicallydesiretoremainawakelateratnightandsleeplaterduringtheday Duetothis,teenagerstendtofallasleeparound11pmormidnight andnaturallyawakenaround8or9am.Aproblemarisesastheaveragestarttime for public high schools in the United States is approximately 8 a.m. or earlier,
Copyright©2023,IERJ.Thisopen-accessarticleispublishedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution-NonCommercial4.0InternationalLicensewhichpermitsShare(copyandredistributethematerialinany mediumorformat)andAdapt(remix,transform,andbuilduponthematerial)undertheAttribution-NonCommercialterms.
forcingstudentstowakeuparoundfiveorsixinthemorningtoaccommodatefor theunethicalstartingtimeofschool.Tofurtherdemonstratethisidea,“Countless studieshaveshownthatearlyschoolstarttimesareassociatedwithstudentsgetting less sleep” (Suni). Furthermore, according to a US News story titled "The ImportanceofSleepforTeenMentalHealth,""surveyssuggestthatfewerthan9 percentofteensgetenoughsleep"(Amabile).
Thisisespeciallyphysicallydemandingasitleavesteenstogetapproximately sixtosevenhoursofsleepwhichisultimatelynotenoughhoursastheyrequire aboutninetonineandahalfhoursofsleeptofunctionproperlyaswellas“[support]theirdevelopingbrain,[and]physicalgrowthspurts”Accordingto,Johns Hopkinspediatrician,MichaelCrocetti,M.D.,M.P.H.(JohnsHopkins,2022f).
In order for teens to obtain enough rest, many sources have claimed schools shoulddelaytheiropeninghours.ThisisbecauseithasbeendeterminedbyHarris, a sleep psychologist, that "mood, academics, attendance, and graduation rates all improve" when schools delayed their start times to 8:30 a.m. or later (Durrani).
Howdoeshomeworkimpactthesleepdeprivationofateen?
Alongwiththephysicaldemandofwakingupagainstthetimeofateen'scircadianrhythm,homeworkcontributestosleepdeprivationofteens.
Afterenduringalongdayofschool,filledwithmentallyandphysicallystrenuouswork,teenscompleteonaverage“morethanthreehoursonhomeworkeach schoolnight,with11thgradersspendingmoretimeonhomeworkthananyother gradelevel”(Lohmann).Toputthisintoperspective,highschoolstudentsspend oversevenhoursperweekonhomework.Anarticle,titled“What'sPreventing AdequateTeenSleep”,statesthathomeworkis“possiblythebiggestfactorthat keepsteensfromgettingenoughsleep”(Amabile).Thisoccursbecausestudents usuallyhaveasignificantamountofhomeworkandnotenoughtimetocomplete it.Asaresult,sleepingisfrequentlythefirstitemtheycutfromtheirroutinethus leadingtodeprivationofsleep.Additionally,“Toomuchhomeworkcanresultin headaches, exhaustion, and weight loss” according to Oxford Learning (Amabile).
Alongwiththeusualissuesthatdevelopasaresultoftheoverflowofhomework, somechildrenfaceanxietyastheydesiretoachieveabsoluteacademicsuccess. As a result, the impact of homework is amplified as these students study for extendedperiodsoftime.Alinkbetweenmentalhealthandhomeworkhasbeen foundasaresultasanxietyisusuallyconnectedtosleepissuesasexcessivestress anddreadmakeitdifficulttofallandremainasleepduringthenightwhichcan causesleepdeprivation.
Whatshouldbedoneabouttheamountofhomeworkteensget?
Althoughweneedtoeducatethenextgenerationofyoungadults,itisimperative thatwedoitinawaythatisnotemotionallyorphysicallytaxing.
AStanford study discovered that children in high-achieving communities who spendtoomuchtimeonhomeworksufferfromincreasedstress,physicalhealth concerns, a loss of balance, and even social estrangement. According to the study,doingmorethantwohoursofhomeworkeverynightmaybeharmful.It may not be necessary to eliminate homework entirely, but rather to be more awareofwhatstudentsbringhome.
This has already been assessed in certain parts of the world as French primary schools have banned homework since 1956. Moreover, older children often spend up to an hour on homework each evening.As a result, students have the opportunitytotrulydisconnectfromschoolandtospendtimedoingsomething otherthanstudy,aswellastopursuetheirindividualinterestsandhobbies.This may also create a sense of accomplishment, boost one's self-esteem and confidence,andpromotementalwell-beingandasenseofbelongingwhichisconsequentialforthetimeinone'slifewhentheyundergocountlesschanges.
Howdoestechnologycontributetothesleepdeprivationofteens?
In recent years, teenagers have become increasingly reliant on technology
Accordingtosurveys,morethan90%ofteensusesocialmedia,andaround75% haveatleastoneactivesocialmediapresencebytheageof17.Thishasbecomea problem as statistics on teen mobile phone addiction present a bleak picture of teenage smartphone addiction. According to research, around 78% of teens checktheirmobiledeviceseveryhour,72%feeltheneedtoanswerinstantlyto anymessagestheyreceive,and45%usetheinternetconstantly,especiallywhen theyshouldberesting.Thisisespeciallydangerousfortheteenagebrainnotonly becauseitdistractsateenresultinginadelayedbedtime,butthebluelightemittedbyelectronicscreenshasbeenshowntorewirethebraintopostponethestart ofsleep.
ThishappensasBluelighttricksthebrainintobelievingitisdaytime.Whenthis happens,thebodystopsproducingmelatonincausingittotakelongforanindividual to fall asleep.Additionally, when sleeping near technology, sounds and flickeringlightsmightcreateundesiredawakenings.Thiscanbedetrimentalasit can cause disruptions to one's circadian rhythm. When this occurs, teens are likely to fall asleep after 11 pm on weeknights, and with the limitations of the early opening of school, they don't get the required amount of sleep. The only
timeadequatesleepmaybeacquirediswhenteenssleepinonweekends.
Inordertoattainanadequateamountofsleep,doctorsrecommendthatgadgets beswitchedoffduringmealsandatleastanhourbeforebedtime.Evenifonesets theirphoneorothergadgetsonmute,havingtheminthebedroomprovidesthe temptationtoglanceatthemifyouwakeupinthemiddleofthenight,perhaps preventingyoufromfallingbackasleep.Asaresult,physiciansadviseparentsto keepanygadgetswithscreensoutoftheirteen'sbedroomafternightandtonot allowaTVintheirteen'sbedroom.
Conclusion
As teenagers go through puberty, their bodies undergo significant changes throughouttheiradolescentyears.Alongwithallofthesechanges,teensdonot getanadequateamountofsleepeachnight.Thisisduetoadisruptionintheircircadiancycle,aswellasschoolstartingearlier,havingmorehomework,andthe frequentuseoftechnology Anindividual'sadolescentyearsarefundamentalfor theirdevelopment,andwithoutadequatesleep,ateenmayhavedelayedgrowth. Additionally, a teen may experience a series of mental and physical health illnesses.
To get the appropriate amount of sleep, kids must be deliberate about their actions, such as their use of technology, which can have a negative impact on them.Asasociety,wemustalsobeconsciousandsensitiveofthechangesoccurringinateen'sbodyandmindandalterseveralaspectsoftheirlife,suchasthe early opening hours of school, to adhere to these changes.As a result, we will have a well-rounded youth who will enjoy all of life's intricacies while still receivinganexcellenteducation.
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