Sleep Deprivation in Teens

Sleep is one of the most important components every human being should have. It is usually referred to as the food for the brain. However, this item is free and no one pays charges to acquire sleep but, it is not common and readily available for everyone. In the recent past, teens are the most affected by lack of adequate sleep. Medics have quantified enough sleep as ranging from 8 to 9hours per day(Williams 122). Consequences exist for teens who deprive themselves enough rest. Such side effects of lack of sleep are having a bad look on your face the whole day, getting moody for no reason, and performing poorly in all activities of the day. Teens with lack of enough rest are also likely to develop poor health conditions or even crash in car accidents by enjoying sleep on the wheel without their knowledge. It is believed when the brain is hungry to siesta then definitely it will satisfy itself at the least time one expects it.

Teens lack sleep due to several reasons which may be justifiable or not. One of the major factors, is the advancement of technology which offers the teens a variety of platforms to have fun time at the expense of sleep(Williams 125). Most adolescents have access to social media with devices such as laptops and smartphones. They hook with friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites during the hours they should be snoring and be deep down into the dreamland. Technology makes life easier and improves most of the aspects in life, but with teens, it is the worst killer and distraction from other important issues the adolescents should concern themselves.

Sleep, a rare commodity, yet free misses the eyes of teens due to the increasing availability of energy drinks in towns, on the streets and in the residential areas. Such energy drinks are coined with high levels of caffeine products which have adverse effects to the sleeping patterns of an individual(Williams 127).

School schedules and time tables play a role in the teen’spoor sleeping habits. The schools encourages young adults to go to bed early and have enough rest, yet they prepare school programs that do not allow the teens practice good sleeping habits. The school releases students from school late in the evening and they go home with loads of homework to be submitted in the morning the next day they report to school. The teens end up spending the better part of the night on homework and before they sleep, they have to say goodnight to a friend on social media. This makes them sleep late and wake up early for school, and therefore causing fatigue during the day. In the long run the teen’s sleeping sequence and pattern is tampered with because they will want to compensate for the lost sleep over the weekends.

Remedies for the issue of sleep deprivation among the youth are quiet difficult to implement, but if successfully achieved then teens will have the liberty to enjoy sleep. The first major factor that denies youth enough sleep time is the teens themselves. Therefore, parents, guardians, and teachers should join forces and control the youth on issues like limiting the teen’s time on technology use. Adjusting school reporting time is also important and it will give teens more time to sleep during the week days. However, it is argued that teens’ brains are more active in morning hours and hence the need to wake them early to learn.

In conclusion, sleep is a free commodity yet rare to most of the teens today. Despite the understanding of the health issues associated with poor sleeping habits, the teens themselves are the big hindrance to having a 9hours sleep time per day.

References

Williams, Simon. Sleep and Society: Sociological Ventures into the Un. New York: Routledge Publishers, 2013.