On average, more than 70 percent of teenagers in America don’t get enough sleep. This trend seems to be true for Deep Run students too.
“I get 3 to 4 hours of sleep per night,” freshman Isabella Selah said.
Freshman Winnie Zhao experiences a similar situation as well,“I get an average of 3 to 6 hours of sleep, or sometimes I don’t sleep at all.”
According to the CDC, teenagers need an average of eight to ten hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation causes major issues within a person’s well-being, ranging from heart and kidney diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure, to strokes, obesity, and depression. Sleep deprivation can also cause memory issues, mood changes, poor balance, and trouble with concentration and thinking which can lead to accidents.
“I’d be really tired, unmotivated, and distractible. Sleep deprivation makes it harder to complete even simple tasks […] Now I get about 6 to 8 hours of sleep on average, but before I’d be getting 2 to 4 hours, and on some nights I just wouldn’t sleep at all,” freshman Emma Enz said. “I’d say it was really detrimental to my physical and mental wellbeing. It drained me of any energy, and I was extremely unproductive everyday.”
Simple daily tasks turn into complicated ones, ”[Sleep deprivation] makes it harder to complete daily tasks. Simple things like doing the dishes or helping my brother with homework feel grueling and take much longer to do,” Zhao said.
Lack of sleep shortens attention span making it harder to focus, “I typically feel tired throughout school days which can cause issues regarding focusing,” sophomore Emily Kowtna said.
It’s important to have healthy sleeping habits. Some good ways to start a healthy sleeping habit is by keeping a consistent routine, making sure your room is a calm and relaxing environment, and avoiding using any electronic devices such as phones, TVs, and consoles. Most students find themselves relaxed listening to music or white noise to help create a calm ambiance.
“I either try to listen to music or work-out to tire me out,” freshman Denelle Prestosa said.
Freshman Arabella Rocella even listens to both, “when I can’t sleep, I just listen to relaxing music or white noise.”
Good sleep can’t be achieved without proper action. Consistent lack of sleep can put a person’s mental and physical health at risk. The consequences of sleep deprivation can’t be undone easily; whether it’s watching a show, playing a game, or doing school work, there’s always going to be another time.
