writing process

Student 8

Jane Student [This sample essay was written using an earlier edition of MLA and before the Ted Talk requirement]

Nancy Hanson

ENGL 1101

24 April 2018

Sleep Deprivation in Teens

It is seven in the morning and teenagers throughout the US are hitting the snooze button blaring next to them. A large percentage of the group was probably up until after midnight, perhaps studying for a test scheduled the next day or scrolling through various social media sites until fatigue finally hit. Less than six hours later, two to four hours shy of well-needed Z’s, these same teens will have to wake up and perform at school, sports, and jobs, trying to function in a sleep-deprived haze.

Sleep deprivation in teens is a huge issue in the United States today. Correlating highly to the premature starting times of middle school and high school, teens are constantly in an uphill battle with achieving high academic scores, finishing all at-home assignments, participating in extracurricular activities, and maintaining a part time job if time allows. However, time does not seem to allow for the most critical and life-affecting activity of all: sleep.

While schools do need to take responsibility for some of the cause of abnormal and insufficient sleeping patterns, early school times are not the only issue. Puberty, heavy homework loads, technology, and poor eating habits are also causes for lower sleep times. However, kids can get more of the sleep they need if changes are made both personally and at school. Schools can begin the process by implementing later starting times and changing school lunches to include healthier options; students can take control of their natural bed times by limiting social media during homework time and putting away all electronic devices at least an hour before planning to sleep.

Biology is a crucial component in regards to the nocturnal behavior of teenagers. Every human has a natural Circadian rhythm, which sends different proteins to the brain to help distinguish when it is day and night and how our body should respond to that certain time of day (“Time”). Circadian clocks change throughout a person’s life, especially during puberty when bodies are rapidly changing and hormones are erratic. According to the article ”When Sleep Becomes a Nightmare,” throughout puberty teens “feel like sleeping and waking 1 to 3 hours later than usual” (Hutson). However, schools are opening at the same time – or even earlier than before. What used to be a manageable 7 AM wakeup call is now equivalent to a seemingly impossible 5 AM wakeup call when hitting puberty.

However, biology is not the only culprit to late bedtimes. Booming technological advances and LED distractions are constantly tempting teenagers. In "Among Teens, Sleep Deprivation an Epidemic" written by Ruthann Richter, it is reported that “64 percent [of teenagers] use electronic music devices, 60 percent use laptops and 23 percent play video games in the hour before they went to sleep.” Most of these screens emit a blue-based light, which restricts melatonin from being released (Hutson). Melatonin is the hormone that is responsible for drowsiness and sends out the signal that it is time for sleep. While it is recommended for everyone to put down all electronics at least one hour before bed, teens succumb to academic and social pressure behind cell phones and computers.

While homework in high school is unavoidable, the workload can be excessive when added to extra curricular activities, jobs, and other commitments. In the article “Biology Explains Only Part of Teenagers’ Sleep Losses,” high schoolers with an extreme amount of homework were “significantly more likely to be sleep deprived, particularly of the homework load has increased a lot from age 12 to 15” (Sparks). Most classes and homework rely on technology in some aspect for turning in homework, supplying study guides and/or reference sheets, and writing papers. Therefore, not using a computer or some other device that connects teens to the Internet is almost impossible these days if optimal grades are wanted. A student must stay up later working on homework using a gadget that is sending melatonin-suppressing light waves. The cycle continues over and over until sleep deprivation is inevitable.

Another factor included in shorter sleep schedules for teens is social media. Facebook, Twitter, and more distracting sites are just one click away from finishing an assignment, so it is no surprise that teens are staying up later to connect with friends in lieu of studying. If combined with caffeine or sugary drinks that give a boost for a few extra hours of work time, this duo comes at a cost when used at the wrong times. An article in the Educational Journal reports that any teenager participating in those activities “30 minutes before bedtime is significantly reducing sleep quantity…and negatively affecting their school performance” (“Social Media”). Mary Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University and a sleep expert, has identified a number of factors, including “circadian rhythm delay, reduced sleep pressure, electronics use, increased academic pressure, early school start times, and the freedom to set their own bed time – a ‘perfect storm’ for sleep deficit” (qtd. in Hutson). However, Caskadon further notes that “children are expected to perform well in academics and extracurricular activities with hormones, homework, and hard habits fighting against them” (qtd. in Hutson).

Finally, the food teens eat can significantly affect their sleep behaviors as well. Researchers Allison Weiss, et al. found, “Shorter sleep was significantly associated with an increase in the percentage of calories consumed from fats” (1207). So consequently, sleep deprivation leads to an increase in fat consumption which can lead to an increase in obesity. Obesity can lead to sleep apnea, which exacerbates sleep deprivation, and the cycle goes on and on.

So what are we to do about sleep deprivation in teenagers? While schools cannot force children to put away their electronics and hop into bed by 9 o’clock every night to get the optimal amount of sleep, they can begin by taking some responsibility for the incline of sleep deprivation in teens due to early school starting times and modify them. If schools simply shifted school’s start times to begin two hours later, teens would have more time to sleep and therefore perform better academically. An article titled “Let Teens Sleep In” notes that the American Academy of Pediatrics, an influential organization focusing on the care of kids, “called for all US schools attended by children aged 10 to 18 to delay their opening times to 8.30 am or later.” The schools that tested later school times out resulted in better academic performance and lower car accident rates. In “Best Daze of Your Life” written by Russell Foster, he describes a different analysis of late starts performed by the University of Minnesota that found “academic performance was enhanced, as was attendance.” The same study reports that “sleeping in class declined, as did self-reported depression” (Foster). Moving starting times later gives students an adequate extra block of time to rest and be ready for the upcoming school day.

Second, students must limit social media. The Internet is always present at any time, with distractions available at the click of a button. Adding heavier homework amounts, the temptation to escape to Facebook seems like paradise. However, students must exercise self-control and be aware of the whirlpool effect of social media, where a five minute break easily turns into a forty-five minute break. Students can be proactive and set specific study and break times, allowing themselves the reward of ten minutes of social media if they study for the other fifty minutes. If using social media for a small amount of time is too distracting, the student can block the certain sites that tempt them during work time and can unblock them when the designated work is finished.

Third, electronics must be ignored before bedtime. Sometimes the problem is not social media, but the electronic device providing information itself. With blue waves restricting the bedtime hormone, the student cannot even prevent this from happening unless they change their light settings on all of their devices or just put the electronics away at least an hour before bed. This is seemingly impossible, but surprisingly easy if the computers are shut off first and the physical copies of books are left for right before bed. Limiting electronics an hour or two before bed gets the brain ready for relaxation and as a result promotes better sleeping habits in teenagers.

Finally, school lunches need to move toward the model suggested in “Growing a New Food Culture,” by Luis González Reyes which includes “offering meals that contain lower amounts of fat, sugar, and animal protein (meat, dairy, and eggs) and higher amounts of fresh, organic produce and unrefined (whole) grains” (75). Once students get used to eating healthier school lunches, the hope is that they will take their newfound energy and attitude into their home lives as well. The goal would be to have students cut back significantly on fats and quick-release carbohydrates, which would, in turn, help them to sleep better.

Sleep deprivation in teens is an alarming epidemic occurring all around the world to an increasing rate of children. There is not a direct solution to this problem, but there are many helpful ways to create a healthier nighttime lifestyle just by changing habits and being proactive about the problem of sleep deprivation itself. By having a positive attitude towards hard-working students struggling with sleep, schools and society can create smarter and stronger teenagers and in the end, a smarter and stronger future.

Works Cited

Foster, Russell. “Best Daze of Your Life.”  New Scientist, vol. 218, no. 2913, Apr. 2013,

pp. 28–29.  EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ap h&AN=87065068&site=ehost-live.

Hutson, Matthew. "When Sleep Becomes a Nightmare." Scholastic Choices 28.6 (2013):

4-9. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

“Let Teens Sleep In.”  New Scientist, vol. 223, no. 2984, Aug. 2014, p. 6.  EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=98026742&site=ehost-live.

Reyes, Luis González. “Growing a New Food Culture.” EarthEd: Rethinking Education

on a Changing Planet The Worldwatch Institute, Island Press, 2017, pp. 73-82.

Richter, Ruthann. "Among Teens, Sleep Deprivation an Epidemic." News Center.

Stanford Medicine, 8 Oct. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

“Social Media and Drinks before Bed Affect Teenagers’ School Performances.”

Education Journal, no. 253, Dec. 2015, p. 16.  EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com /login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=111478749&site=ehost-live.

Sparks, Sarah D. “Biology Explains Only Part Of Teenagers’ Sleep Losses.”  Education

Week, vol. 33, no. 14, Dec. 2013, pp. 20–21.  EBSCOhost, search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=92975463&site=ehost-live.

"The Time Of Our Lives." The Time of Our Lives. Learn.Genetics, n.d. Web. 19 Apr.

2016.

Weiss, Allison, et al. “The Association of Sleep Duration with Adolescents' Fat and

Carbohydrate Consumption.”  Sleep, Volume 33, Issue 9, 1 September 2010, Pages 1201–1209,  https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/33.9.1201