Awakening Refreshment: The Alarm Clock Call You Can't Ignore
In today's fast-paced world, sleep deprivation among teenagers has become a significant public health issue. This problem, often caused by insomnia, overwhelming workloads, and excessive technology use, carries dangers similar to those impaired by alcohol, leading to numerous accidents and over a thousand deaths.
One key advocate for addressing this issue is Lisa Lewis, author of "The Sleep-Deprived Teen." She urges that each additional commitment added to one's schedule should be reevaluated if it leaves no window for the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep.
To improve sleep quality and quantity, establishing healthy habits is crucial. This includes setting up a consistent sleep schedule, implementing a bedtime routine, and practising time-blocking. Activities such as meditation or journaling, done without screens at least an hour before bed, can help the body wind down.
However, the increasing use of technology by Gen Z makes it harder to sleep, creating a vicious cycle. Building a healthy sleep environment, with a calming room temperature and dim lights, can improve receptivity to sleep.
Good quality sleep is not just essential for physical health but also for mental health. It supports growth, guards against risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and balances hormones. Quality sleep is a protective factor for the heart and blood vessels.
Sleep deprivation harms one's ability to learn, make decisions, remember information, and react to change. It impairs cognitive functions crucial for teens, including attention, memory, concentration, and academic performance.
Chronic sleep deprivation in teens leads to significant mental health challenges such as increased anxiety, depression, stress, and difficulty regulating emotions. It also causes cognitive impairments, reducing concentration, impairing memory, and making it difficult to learn and make decisions.
Physical health consequences include increased cravings for carbohydrates leading to weight gain, obesity, and higher risk for diabetes. Sleep deprivation also weakens the immune response, making them more susceptible to infections, and increases the risk of impaired decision-making abilities.
Underlying biological factors, such as a natural shift in the circadian rhythm, cause adolescents to experience a sleep phase delay, leading to later sleep onset and difficulty obtaining the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep.
For those with chronic insomnia, healthy sleep habits may not be enough, and they may seek cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), medication, or other treatment.
The Coronavirus pandemic has amplified struggles sleeping, with one-third of participants across thirteen countries experiencing symptoms of clinical insomnia.
Caffeine does not provide sufficient compensation for sleep deprivation and can reduce the body's ability to have slow-wave sleep, necessary for cardiovascular health and hormone production. The brain uses sleep to create new pathways for proper functioning, so, without it, teens struggle with managing stress, maintaining attention spans, and balancing mood swings.
In conclusion, sleep deprivation in teenagers is a critical public health issue that adversely affects their emotional wellbeing, cognitive development, academic success, and physical health. It warrants focused attention on improving sleep hygiene and addressing environmental factors like school start times.
- The author of "The Sleep-Deprived Teen" suggests reevaluating every commitment added to one's schedule to ensure there is still room for the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep.
- Implementing a bedtime routine, consistent sleep schedule, and time-blocking are essential habits to improve sleep quality and quantity.
- Prioritizing a healthy sleep environment, such as a calming room temperature and dim lights, can help improve receptivity to sleep.
- Chronic sleep deprivation in teenagers can lead to significant mental health challenges, including increased anxiety, depression, stress, and difficulty regulating emotions.
- Caffeine does not compensate for sleep deprivation and can negatively impact cardiovascular health and hormone production.
