Thursday, June 12, 2008


       In a recent research, an association between sleep deprivation and poorer grades has been revealed. In a 1998 survey of more than 3,000 high school students, psychologists Amy R. Wolfson, PhD, of the College of Holy Cross, AND Mary A. Carskadon, PhD, of Brown University Medical School, found that students who reported that they were getting C's, D's and F's in school obtained about 25 minutes less sleep and went to bed about 40 minutes later than students who reported that they were getting A's and B's. 


       In August of 1998, researchers at the University of Minnesota reported the results of a study of more than 7,000 high school students whose schools had switched from a 7:15 a.m. start time to an 8:40 a.m. start time. Compared with students whose schools maintained earlier start times, students with later starts reported getting more sleep on school nights, being less sleepy during the day, getting slightly higher grades and experiencing fewer depressive feelings and behaviors. 

Kaylyn Reinhold 
Teens need approximately nine hours of sleep each night to function best. Most teens do not get enough sleep, and only 15% are reported to be sleeping nine hours on school nights. In a recent University of Colorado survey, 82% of high school students reported that they woke up tired and more than 50% had trouble concentrating at school at least once a week. It is common for teenagers to have irregular sleep patterns during the week. Due to schoolwork , friends and stress, they are prone to stay up late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep. This leads to many sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea.



Sleep deprivation has serious consequences. Inadequate sleep can cause mood and behavioral problems. Not getting enough sleep or having sleep difficulties can limit one's ability to learn, listen, and concentrate, which are all aspects crucial to the life of a teen. It may make one more prone to acne and other skin problems, lead to intolerant behavior and cause one to eat too much or eat unhealthy foods. It also heightens the effects of alcohol and contributes to illness or driving drowsy. The mere act of sleeping longer may reduce the probability of motor vehicle accidents in the community and increase students' test scores.

Kaylyn Reinhold