The Young and the Restless

The Young and the Restless

“Teenagers need nine to ten hours of quality sleep with within every 24-hour period for healthy development […] most teens are not getting it” (Summerfield). Many adolescents come to school sleep deprived. One of many reasons why adolescents are sleep deprived is they are staying up all night to finish school work. Also, the late night technology splurges are leaving them tired in the morning. Sleep deprivation affects one's health. Not only does it take a toll on one’s mental health, but it also affects one’s school success. More sleep can help the problems. Also school’s, schedule adjustments can help there sleep problems to. As a result of the stress at school and the temptations of technology, many teenagers are sleep deprived and end up losing focus at school and take a toll their mental health.

Technology is one of the main causes of adolescence becoming sleep deprived. In the article “Teens, Texting and the Sleep Connection” by Jackie Burrell states “Late- night texting is affecting the sleep cycles of most teenagers” (Burrell). The current generation of teens feel the need to stay connected. Since most teens have easy access to technology they are constantly on social networks causing them to become infatuated with technology. It allows them to stay up all night and makes it harder for teens to fall asleep and they pay the price the next day. In Matthew Hutson’s article “When Sleep Turns into a Nightmare” he found “In a study of adolescents in philadelphia, that the teens did an average of four different tech related activities after 9pm.” At the end of a long day, teens turn to technology for entertain or to connect with friends, which is not a bad thing but, after spending long hours using technology teens find it hard to stop and they keep pushing away sleep. Technology deprives teens from getting a healthy amount of shleep, school’s stress and time schedule fuels their sleep deprivation more.

One of the main causes o of sleep deprivation is the stress at school and their early schedules. In the article “The ABCs of ZZZs” By Robin Summerfield. She states“Part time jobs, school demands, busy social lives and late night hyperstimulation from the internet, fuels sleep deprivation”(Summerfield). With the hectic schedules at school and having exams, students are studying all night and having to wake up early in the next day just to make it to first period on time. In the article “The ABCs of ZZZs” by Robin Summerfield, she says “With a month left in the school year exams on the horizon. High school students need more sleep to make successfully make it through with their grades and sanity intact”(Summerfield). Teens need time to relax from a busy day at school and not stay up doing homework from class. This cycle will only increase their sleep deprivation students must learn to manage their time so that school or the overuse of technology does not deprive them from sleep. With all the technology usage and schools stress pushing away teens sleep, their mental health is suffering.

One effect of sleep deprivation is the mental toll . In the article “Teens, Texting and the Sleeping Connection” by Jackie Burrell, Norman Constantine, a researcher on adolescent health and development, explains “Sleep deprivation is linked to memory and concentration problems, anxiety, depression, moodiness and hyperactivity.” If teens do not get the desired amount of sleep their bodies, begin to endure changes that affect their mental health . They are gambling their mental health by not getting enough sleep. In Peg Dawson’s article “More Proof Sleepy Teens Learn Less” she claims “The effects of sleepiness on emotional states is a high variable across individuals and situations. I can include emotional lability depression symptoms increase irritability, impatience and low tolerance or frustration.” It is very important for teens to get a good amount of sleep because without it they become more vulnerable to emotional instability and behavior problems. With sleep deprivation chiping away teens mental health, it affects their school success.

Another effect of sleep deprivation is their school motivation and success. In the article “More Proof Sleepy Teens Learn Less” by Peg Dawson, she states “Lack of sleep