Exhaustion after a grueling workday should naturally lead to restful sleep, yet for many, this isn’t the case. Imagine dragging yourself through a demanding day, your body, and mind pushed to their limits, only to find yourself wide awake when you finally reach the sanctuary of your bed. This frustrating scenario is all too common for those grappling with sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation is more than just an inconvenience; it’s a challenging condition that can significantly impact every aspect of life. The inability to fall asleep, despite overwhelming fatigue, creates a vicious cycle. As sleepless nights accumulate, they pave the way for increasingly difficult days, affecting productivity, mood, and overall well-being.
Some reasons why many teenagers regularly do not get enough sleep include:
- hormonal time shift – puberty hormones shift the teenager’s body clock forward by about one or two hours, making them sleepier one to two hours later. Yet, while the teenager falls asleep later, early school starts don’t allow them to sleep in. This nightly ‘sleep debt’ leads to chronic sleep deprivation.
- using screen based devices – smartphones and other devices used around bedtime reduce sleep time. Teens who put down their smart-phones an hour before bed gain an extra 21 minutes sleep a night, (that’s one hour and 45 minutes over the school week) according to a study by Vic Health and the Sleep Health Foundation.
- hectic after-school schedule – homework, sport, part-time work and social commitments can cut into a teenager’s sleeping time
- leisure activities – the lure of stimulating entertainment such as television, the internet, and computer gaming can keep a teenager out of bed.
- light exposure – light cues the brain to stay awake. In the evening, lights from televisions, mobile phones and computers can prevent adequate production of melatonin, the brain chemical (neurotransmitter) responsible for sleep.
- vicious circle – insufficient sleep causes a teenager’s brain to become more active. An over-aroused brain is less able to fall asleep.
- social attitudes – in Western culture, keeping active is valued more than sleep
- sleep disorder – sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea, can affect how much sleep a teenager gets.
Effects of teenage sleep deprivation
The developing brain of a teenager needs between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night. The effects of chronic (ongoing) sleep deprivation may include:
- concentration difficulties
- mentally ‘drifting off’ in class
- shortened attention span
- memory impairment
- poor decision-making
- lack of enthusiasm
- moodiness and aggression
- depression
- risk-taking behavior
- slower physical reflexes
- clumsiness, which may result in physical injuries
- reduced sporting performance
- reduced academic performance
- increased number of ‘sick days’ from school because of tiredness
- truancy.
Source: Valsmediagh.com
