Call it Generation
Groggy. In the US, at least once a week, 28% of high school students fall
asleep in class, and 22% fall asleep doing homework, according to the survey
released last week by the US National Sleep foundation.
According to Amy
Wolfson, sleep researcher and associate professor of psychology at College of
the Holy Cross, that is the tip of the iceberg as "you know they aren't
alert before they fall asleep and it is very alarming to me."
Sleep deprivation among
youth is caused not only by puberty, which triggers changes in one's sleep
cycle but also by environmental and lifestyle factors such as early school
stars, a taste for caffeinated drinks and bedrooms that are full of
sleep-postponing temptations such as cell phones, computers and televisions
sets, sleep experts say.
According to Dr Judy
Owens, an expert in pediatric sleep disorders in Rhode Island, this is not all
biological. The survey also showed that 97% had at least one electronic device
in their rooms, which is a big problem.
Researchers at other
universities found plenty of evidence in their survey that adolescents were
falling far short of recommended nine hours of sleep. Only about one in five
adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 gets the recommended nine hours of
sleep per night and about half get less than eight hours on school nights. The
total hours of sleep also declined with age. Sixth graders slept an average 8.4
hours per night while high school seniors slept 6.9 hours, two hours less than
recommended. Young people are paying for the consequences, both academically
and in terms of personal health problems, the researchers said.
For instance,
adolescents who get less sleep get worse grades than their pees who get at
least nine hours of sleep. Eighty percent of the well-rested subjects reported
getting As and Bs in school.
Also, 28% of
respondents reported they were too tired to exercise. Exercise is sorely
missing in man children's lives these days with sports giving way to more
sedentary activities such as watching TV or playing on the computer. Many
children also may be too busy with other "more important pursuits"
such as extra classes and enrichment classes to be involved in exercise.
Owens noted that many
studies have reported that the fewer hours of sleep an adolescent gets, the
more likely they are to be obese or to suffer from mood disorders. Also, about
half of teenage drivers in the survey said that they have driven while drowsy n
the past year.
Owens said that there
are things that parents and their children can do to help kids get a better
night's sleep. Adolescents should not drink caffeine after lunch and should not
have electronic devices in their bedrooms. They should stick to a regular sleep
schedule with an adequate number of hours of sleep and try not to deviate much
from it on weekends.
However, for some
adolescents, making major changes in their sleep cycles may require extra help.
Light therapy and the hormone melatonin sometimes can be used to restore more
normal sleep cycles in young night owls, according to researchers.
Summary: Research indicates many
children and teens are getting inadequate sleep. They fall asleep in class and
while completing homework and are generally not alert. Sleep deprivation is
caused by puberty, environmental and lifestyle factors. Many keep electronic
gadgets and drink caffeinated drinks which postpone sleep. Thus, they get less
than the recommended nine hours of sleep daily and suffer academically and
health wise. The sleep-deprived teens score worse grades and are too exhausted
to exercise indulging in sedentary activities or attending extra classes. Fewer
hours of sleep also leas to obesity and mood disorders and potential car
accidents. Thus, adolescents should avoid caffeine after lunch and remove
electronic items from their bedrooms. Keeping to regular sleep schedule is
vital. Otherwise, therapy and medication can ensure good sleep.
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