Adolescents and Sleep-Deprivation Should High School...

Seventeen-year-old Jilly Dos Santos (a student of Rock Bridge High School) struggled every morning to be at school for 7:50 a.m. Rushing to put on makeup, skipping breakfast, and being tardy was common for Jilly. â€Å"I will die†¦I will drop out of school† claimed Jilly when she found out that the school board was considering moving the start of the school day 30 minutes earlier (Hoffman 2). Jilly became a sleep activist because she knew that, biologically, adolescents go to bed and wake up later. Mary Carskadon, considered to be an expert on sleep and circadian rhythms of adolescents, claims that adolescents should receive about 9 hours of sleep a night (Onyper). Many students suffer from sleep-deprivation due to alterations in the peak†¦show more content†¦However, studies show that adolescents’ melatonin levels peak from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m., which only gives them 7hours of sleep at most, without accounting for the influences of technology use (Finely ). Access to televisions, computers, and cellphones promote alertness (Foster). About 88% of adolescents have a smartphone today (Zeitzer and Nathan). Although there is not a direct link in increased daytime sleepiness and cellphone usage, studies show that 80% of students that have a smartphone claim that they need it with them at all times which does affect sleeping patterns (Zeitzer and Nathan). Jamie Zeitzer, a Ph.D. in neurobiology, explains that the necessity of a smartphone during bedtime causes people to sleep lighter and spend less time sleeping. In her experiments about 25% of the subjects that slept with a smartphone nearby suffer from excessive subjective sleepiness (Zeitzer and Nathan). Adolescents who receive 7 hours of sleep experience high levels of daytime sleepiness throughout the school day and even doze off during morning classes (Souza 69). If students are dozing off during class then this is obviously affecting their school performance. In 1996 Edina High School in Minnesota changed their school times from 7:25 to 8:30. Some results included increased attendance, less tardiness, increase in student alertness, and a 2% increase in students’ grades (National Sleep Foundation). Some might argue that a 2% increase in someShow MoreRelatedAdolescents Today Face A Widespread Chronic Health Problem : Sleep Deprivation1566 Words   |  7 PagesAdolescents today face a widespread chronic health problem: sleep deprivation. Research shows that getting enough sleep is a biological necessity. Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). 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