Teens and Sleep Deprivation
Our intern, Andy Lin, who enjoys doing health research in his spare time, was motivated by his own experience and those of his classmates (who are often sleep-deprived) to create this blog on sleep and why so many teens do not get adequate shut-eye.
“Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation.” – LOL
This blog will address the biology of sleep, the environmental factors and ways to improve it.
Sleep is categorized into non-REM and REM sleep, with each cycle lasting upwards of two hours. Generally, a person should get four to six cycles of sleep in order to properly rejuvenate the mind and repair the body’s tissues. Without adequate hours of rest, your brain function and physical growth and recovery will be negatively affected. In turn, your dimensions of wellness can take a serious toll, leading to long-term health issues such as insomnia, depression, and diabetes.
Sleep deprivation is a result of a combination of factors: Genetics, Community, and Lifestyle Choices. However, decision-making arguably plays the greatest role among the rest of the contributors. Each person makes hundreds of decisions that will affect how every day goes by. For instance, choosing to play hours of video games after school pushes homework to be done later, or else grades will exponentially fall. Furthermore, according to the 2024 National Sleep Foundation Poll, eight out of 10 teens do not get at least eight hours of sleep, with most teens listing school and work as the primary contributors.
It is important to understand that people’s circadian rhythm [LP1] runs like a 24-hour clock. This includes the hours you are awake or asleep. So, when you disrupt something fundamental like sleep, your rhythm also suffers, making it much harder to return to an optimal schedule.
How Biology Affects You
Did you know that as kids get older, they naturally go to bed later? This does not happen randomly, rather it is a phenomenon known as sleep-phase delay. The sleep-phase delay shifts their circadian rhythm later, making sleep undesirable until near midnight.
Coincidentally, teens are naturally inclined to fall asleep later due to a biological shift in regulating their brain’s sleep-wake cycle. In other words, the drive to fall asleep develops more gradually throughout the day, leaving them more awake in the evening. As a result, they often struggle to get the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep each week.
Clearly, the biological development of the brain, combined with the sleep-phase delay, creates a lethal combination that leads to sleep deprivation and, in more severe cases, sleeping disorders.
What Teenagers Say
High school is notorious for stories of students taking drastic measures to complete an assignment to make deadlines. With sports, clubs, and jobs, homework just seems like another unfulfilled duty on their plate. Often, it is the last task on their list, waiting to be done in the evening.
Here is what some of my classmates say:
“With varsity sports and chapter notes every night for AP classes, it would be nice to go to bed by midnight.”
“I have a study hall, so I can normally get 8 hours.”
“Yeah, 6 or 7 is typical. I would try to get as much homework done after work, which I have immediately after school, and do the rest in the morning.”
“School starting at 7:30 A.M. is a battle in itself. I have to wake up at 6 to get ready to get to the bus stop on time”
The general nature of the comments shows that school demands and work are vital to the hours of sleep a student gets. It is important to note that most schools do start an hour later, a change that has been shown to boost attendance, improve mood, and increase sleep duration.
Without a doubt, every person has their own reasons for sacrificing sleep. In fact, I had fallen victim to all-nighters and the excessive consumption of caffeine when completing lengthy labs and notes. I am not proud of this action and certainly do not want to make it a habit.
Your Environment Matters
On the broader scale, where you live can affect how many hours you sleep. For example, people living in more rural areas often experience loneliness. Loneliness can heighten stress and anxiety, which makes sleep difficult and cause more awakenings during the night. Plus, loneliness can correlate to the rise of depressive symptoms and mental health disorders. When I lived in the countryside, I was often annoying my family as we did not have any neighbors nearby. So, when we moved to a suburb, I was pleasantly surprised by the tighter-knit community and activities that were available to me. I was able to socialize more and looked forward to doing so each day. So, where you live can directly hinder your ability to sleep and your quality of sleep.
On a narrower scale, your parents have a key role in shaping your sleeping habits. Parents that set a bedtime where children can sufficiently get eight to 10 hours of sleep grant them a better mood and lower fatigue levels. But, at the same time, parents who force high expectations on their children (good grades, extracurricular activities, sporting excellence, getting into a top college, etc.) can create additional anxiety and stress, which can interfere with falling asleep. So, take into consideration what is asked of you and how to approach it.
In turn, not all factors affecting your sleep are in your control. However, by understanding what you can do and taking early measures, you can mitigate many disturbances.
How to Improve Sleep Quality
Fixing a sleep schedule can be difficult, but doable. Here are some strategies that can help:
Start Timeboxing: Organize your tasks into a google calendar. By noting the time you have for each task, you can better manage your daily schedule around deadlines. Additionally, you can set constant reminders of upcoming deadlines for urgent duties.
Start Exercising: Regular half-hour long physical activity every day can improve sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster.
Caution With Drugs: Caffeine and nicotine are commonly used among teens. Caffeine is found in coffee and energy drinks, which can leave you feeling jittery and too alert to sleep. Imagine trying to study, but you are feeling all shaky – not a good feeling. Nicotine, on the other hand, is much more serious. People say that vaping helps focus and relieves stress, but once your body gets used to it, you begin losing control, with your mind left craving for more. Not to mention, nicotine interferes with the brain’s reward system, which makes quitting very difficult to do. So, if you want a healthy body that you can control, start limiting caffeine intake and saying no to nicotine.
Tips For Electronics: In an era where phone use is prevalent and everywhere we go, it is understandable that people want to keep their phone in their bedroom. Certainly, doing so will diminish the amount of quality sleep you get, but there are some things you can do to mitigate the negative effects. For example, using the blue light filter can help ease the amount of strain your eyes endure from looking at a bright screen in the dark.
Here’s how:
Additionally, listening to music or an audiobook that turns off after a certain time, can help with falling asleep. Moreover, turning on “Do Not Disturb” on your cellphone can reduce messages and notifications from constantly popping up and stealing your attention.
It’s not an all or nothing approach – it may be overwhelming to establish all of these tips. So start gradually with one or two that you can easily manage.
And remember:
“Sleep deprivation is the most common brain impairment” – William C. Dement
