Noelle Brown - Research Paper 4
Noelle Brown - Research Paper 4
Noelle Brown - Research Paper 4
Noelle Brown
Professor Hunter
English 1201
6 December 2020
through her phone even though her alarm will ring for school at seven in the morning. This
happens once, then starts to become a normal, frequent occurrence. Over the course of one
month, Brittany comes extremely close to wrecking her car twice. At the same time, Brittany
begins to really struggle with mental health issues and starts to show a decline in academic
performance. She begins to become anxious over simple tasks and random things in her daily
life. A few months later, she can tell that she has gained weight. Britanny may not realize, but
these issues likely stem from her sleep deprivation. There are clear correlations between a lack of
sleep and the issues that Brittany is facing. Brittany is not alone. In fact, a study done by the
CDC states that seven out of ten high school students do not get enough sleep on school nights.
Brittany is lucky. Some sleep deprived teens face harsher consequences to their lack of sleep,
like actually causing a car wreck, or developing medical conditions. Teens do not realize the
risks they are taking by not getting enough sleep, and many try to argue that the benefits from
staying up late outweigh the downfalls of the issue. Sleep deprivation in teens has significant
negative consequences, the most prevalent being extreme harm to mental and physical health and
daily life by causing issues like depression, anxiety, worsened attention, and medical conditions.
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Total teen sleep time has been declining for decades. A study on the topic in the US
found that teenagers’ average sleep time significantly lowered over a twenty-one-year period
from 1991 to 2012 (Breus 5). Some speculate that this is due to new technologies and a fear of
missing out on social media (Premier Health). In fact, greater than half of teen parents believe
that electronics are part of the cause of lessened sleep (Mostafavi). Teens stay up late scrolling
through their phones, lose track of time, and end up losing a lot of valuable sleeping time. They
do not want to miss a single thing or feel out of the loop when socializing with friends. So much
of their lives revolve around their phones that it can be hard to shut them off at night. Other
reasons for the increase in sleep deprived teenagers include overloaded schedules, texting with
friends late at night, and simply insomnia (Gupta 1). When teens must be at school at the crack
of dawn and do not get home until late in the evening, it can be hard for them to find enough
time to get the sleep they need. One other strong reason for the issue is biological clocks. Teens
are biologically likely to be up late and less alert during the morning (Breus 7). It is
recommended that children ages thirteen to eighteen get between eight and ten hours of sleep a
night (“Sleep and Health” 2). Once again, according to the CDC, only three of ten high school
students meet this sleep benchmark consistently. According to Klass, “sleep is critical to
maintain focus and alertness, to repair and maintain brain cells, to clear out toxic metabolites”
(13). Teen brains need a good amount of sleep to be able to function properly. Sleep deprivation
refers to consistently not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is incredibly harmful to the
developing teen brain. Although sleep deprivation can be an issue for anyone, it is a significant
issue for teens in particular. It is important that the teen population and parents are educated on
this issue so they can take steps to aid the main problem, sleep deprivation, which in turn aids the
plentiful small issues created by the larger (“Sleep and Health” 9).
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Fig. 1. The above chart shows the main reason for sleep deprivation in teens is
Depression is a prevalent mental health issue that many teens face. The American
Psychiatric Association defines depression as, “a common and serious medical illness that
negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.” In adolescents, depression
and sleep deprivation have a significant correlation. The more sleep deprived a teen is, the higher
their risk for experiencing depressive symptoms. A study done on the correlation revealed that
sleep deprived teens are three times more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression than their
peers that get the recommended amount of sleep (Villines 2). Other research suggests that sleep
deprivation substantially increases the risk of major depression among adolescents, whereas
depressive symptoms do not increase the risk of sleep deprivation in most cases (Roberts 8). The
study shows that the correlation between sleep deprivation and depression is one sided. Although
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depression may be an issue in many teens, it is not causing sleep deprivation. The same cannot
be said about sleep deprivation. It is proven time and time again that sleep deprivation extremely
increases the risk of depressive symptoms. The two issues have such a strong correlation that
disorders associated with sleep deprivation, like insomnia, are included in key criteria for
diagnosing major depression (Roberts 9). Another supporting study was done in 2015 and
evoked negative feelings including a depressed mood (Vick 5). If this amount of sleep
deprivation brought out these depressive feelings, it is likely that more major depressive feelings
are brought on by a consistent sleep deprivation. In addition to depression, a severe lack of sleep
can also lead to increased rates of suicidal thoughts in teens (Dunster 1). It is undeniable the risk
for depression in teens is increased by sleep deprivation, and it is imperative to recognize the
correlation between the two to decrease the harmful consequences like mental health struggles
Like depression, anxiety is another one of the most common mental illnesses teens
struggle with. The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as, “an emotion
characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood
pressure.” The risk for anxiety in adolescents is also, like depression, increased by sleep
deprivation. The study of the fourteen to eighteen-year-old teens been subjected to a thirty-six-
hour period of sleep deprivation that evoked depressive symptoms also brought out anxious
feelings (Vick 5). Issues revolving around a lack of sleep during adolescent years can be seen as
a precursor to anxiety disorders in some cases (McMakin). From a study done upon her peers by
herself, Dunietz states, “about 60 percent of teens have trouble falling asleep occasionally,
frequently, or very frequently. Another important finding was that mood disorders are common
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among my peers. Anxiety was reported by 45 percent of teens.” From her findings, it is clear
that sleep deprivation increases the likelihood of having anxiety symptoms. Over half of her
peers did not get enough sleep, and nearly half have some level of anxiety. This is one of every
two students. That means if you are a teen student reading this, either you have a lack of sleep
and potentially anxiety, or one of your fellow classmates does. Teens who do not meet the
required amount of sleep at night generally experience more panic and anxiety attacks than the
teens who do. The evidence and studies on the correlations between sleep deprivation and mental
health disorders such as depression and anxiety show that a lack of sleep in teens is absolutely
detrimental to their mental wellbeing. Although teens struggle with these mental issues as is,
In addition to harming the mental health of teens, sleep deprivation can also negatively
affect academic performance. A lack of sleep in teenage years can cause lessened motivation in
school, greater attendance issues, and a decrease in attentiveness in school and when completing
homework (Breus 16). When a student is not at school due to attendance, they cannot receive the
support and teaching that they need to be academically successful. If a student is not motivated
about their education, they will not put forth their full effort and get everything they possibly can
out of their learning. Regarding this issue, the CDC states, “students should get the proper
amount of sleep at night to help stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic
performance” (“Sleep and Health” 1). Without focus and attentiveness, teens will not be able to
remember nor recall the information they are being taught. Sleep deprivation negatively impacts
adolescents learning abilities, which in turn leads to declining academic performance (Vick 5). In
a study of three thousand high school students, those with higher GPAs were found to sleep more
and have overall better sleep schedules than those of their less achieving peers. Also, they were
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found to have gone to bed earlier on school nights and awoke earlier on weekends (Richter).
This is known as a good circadian rhythm, the bodies daily biological “clock.” It is known by
many that taking a test while sleep deprived usually has a negative impact on the score received.
While this is widely understood, more people should understand that this same concept applies to
all academic work. If it is completed in a state of sleep deprivation, it usually will not receive the
best possible score. Students are not reaching their full potential when they are deprived of sleep.
This applies to all teens. If a rather high achieving student starts to lose out on important sleep
time for their brain to restore energy, they may become an average student or even struggle
academically. Academic achievement can reach greater levels when a teen gets a proper amount
of sleep. For teens, meeting exceptional educational levels will be a struggle with a lack of sleep.
Fig. 2. A sleep deprived teen cannot focus in class and misses out on essential learning (Getty
Images).
Another way that a consistent loss of sleep impacts teen’s lives poorly is through
increased risk while driving. Teen’s driving while sleep deprived is extremely dangerous.
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“Drowsy driving” is driving under a state of extreme fatigue, usually due to sleep deprivation
(Klass 5). Klass states, “driving after sleeping only four to five hours a night is associated with a
similar crash risk as driving with an alcohol level at the legal limit. Sleeping less than four hours
puts you at the same risk as driving with double the legal alcohol limit” (6). This is extremely
concerning since there are no laws against driving on a low amount of sleep, unlike the laws we
have against driving intoxicated. Although this is true for all drivers, teens are usually more
likely to take risks/ engage in potentially dangerous actions. A study done in 2017 revealed that
one in four teens had driven in this state at least once (Klass 5). Usually, teens are on the way to
school when driving drowsy like this. Sleep deprived students have higher rates of car crashes
than those of their peers who are well rested (Dunster 1). Research from the United States tells us
that high school students with later school start times have lower crash rates (Dunster 2). In this
case, students having additional time to sleep may lessen the extent of their sleep deprivation and
lead them to be more alert and attentive behind the wheel. Students should strive to meet the
recommended amounts of sleep on school nights to decrease these risks. It is essential that teens
are awake enough to make smart decisions before operating a vehicle and potentially risking
their own safety and that of others. For the safety of teens, it is imperative they drive with a
proper amount of rest to prevent risky driving and car crashes. The danger of drowsy driving is a
Sleep deprivation in teens can also cause physical health issues, type two diabetes being
one. A consistent lack of sleep has a serious and severe impact on the metabolic health of
teenagers (Breus 11). In a scientific study, blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels,
waist circumference, insulin resistance, and sleep levels of teens were studied to calculate
metabolic scores. A higher metabolic score indicates a greater risk for diabetes and worse
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cardiovascular health. It was found that the teens who got enough sleep had lower metabolic
scores, meaning less of a risk for diabetes (Breus 14). The CDC states that teens who do not get
enough sleep are at a higher risk to develop type two diabetes (“Sleep and Health” 2). Sleep
deprivation can cause all of the factors that put someone at risk for a higher metabolic score,
meaning that they are at an increased risk for type two diabetes, and in addition can cause weight
gain and obesity. Type two diabetes is less common than type one, but it is increasing rapidly.
This type of diabetes occurs when insulin is not able to be processed correctly in the body.
Usually, type two diabetes is not diagnosed until adulthood, but it is becoming a more common
diagnosis in pediatrics (Farrell). This most likely has something to do with the decline in teen
sleep over the past decade. Farrell believes that if the average duration of teen sleep was
increased by one hour every night, the rate of children being diagnosed with type two diabetes
would lessen. If type two diabetes is avoidable, it is important teens get enough sleep to prevent
Another way that sleep deprivation impacts teens’ physical health is by making them
more injury prone. Not meeting the sleep benchmarks puts teens’ bodies at a greater risk for
injury (“Sleep and Health” 1). This is particularly an issue for teen athletes. An injury can take a
player out for a whole season, and some sports injuries can have lifelong consequences. Also,
teen athletes may get hurt at practices more easily. A study on sports injuries found that teen
athletes that get less than eight hours of sleep every night were seven times more likely to have a
sports related injury. In teen athletes, “sleep deprivation causes worse verbal memory, visual
memory, visual motor speed, and reaction times. This was the take-home message from a study
involving 7,150 athletes (31.3% female) age 14-17 years old” (“Sports Related Injury and
Performance”). Even if an adolescent athlete who lacks sleep does not become injured, they are
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not performing at their peak. Teen athletes need to be getting eight to ten hours of sleep a night
so they can be at the top of their game. A proper amount of sleep every night is one of the best
things that
teen athletes can do in order to prevent injuries. Both sports injuries and injuries in general are
Despite all the awful consequences of sleep deprivation, some teens may try to claim that
the benefits from staying up late, in some cases completing the task they are working on instead
of sleeping, outweigh the downfalls of a lack of sleep. While this is a valid point, it is hard to
think of situations that would yield a greater positive than negative. One of the most common
arguments from teens on staying up late is that they need to academically prepare for a test.
Although many teens believe last minute cramming will help, it will actually do more harm than
good in most cases. Richter states, “[sleep deprivation] impacts academic performance. It’s
harder to take tests and answer questions if you are sleep-deprived cramming, at the expense of
sleep, is counterproductive.” Richter goes on to explain that this applies to any type of
educational assignment/ learning. If you are sacrificing sleep for assignments or to prepare for
tests, you are actually harming how you will perform and score on them. Others claim that they
do not want to miss out on anything and stay up on social media platforms (Premier Health). The
negative consequences of a lack of sleep extremely outweigh the positives from staying in the
online loop and not missing any information. Although this fear of missing out is valid, it is not
worth sacrificing mental and physical health for. The issues sleep deprivation causes to daily life,
like lowered academic and sport performance, are way worse than missing out on a few social
media posts every night. It is clear that the benefits in teens from staying up late are not worth
Now let's go back to Brittany. Imagine Brittany begins to get enough sleep and
establishes a regular sleep schedule. It is likely that over time, her academic performance will
improve, she will feel healthier, and attentiveness and focus will be easier for her to maintain.
Most teens that struggle the way that Brittany did could improve the amount of sleep they get
and will have so many positive effects of multiple facets of their health and lives. They will be
higher performing in academic, mental, and physical areas of their lives. Once teens understand
that the pros from staying up late simply are not worth the serious cons of sleep deprivation, they
may be able to fix their sleeping schedules and improve the many mental and physical aspects of
their lives that are harmed by sleep deprivation. When fully rested, teens will be able to reach
higher potentials, where that be in school, sports, or anything in between. In teens, struggles like
mental and physical health issues, academic problems, and daily life problems, including but not
limited to anxiety, depression, medical conditions, and injuries are all caused by sleep
Works Cited
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sleepeducation.org/news/2018/10/05/sleep-to-feel-well-sleep-and-mood-in-teens. Accessed
1 November 2020.
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Journal of Biological Rhythms, vol. 34, no. 6, Dec. 2019, pp. 576–578. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1177/0748730419892118.
Farrell, Ryan. “How Lack of Sleep Can Increase Diabetes Risks for Children.” "Healthy@UH"
Klass, Perri. “The Science of Adolescent Sleep.” The New York Times, 22 May 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/05/22/well/family/the-science-of-adolescent-sleep.html. Accessed
17 October 2020.
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McMakin, Dana L, and Candice A Alfano. “Sleep and anxiety in late childhood and early
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www.mnsleep.net/school-start-time-toolkit/why-improve-sleep-for-teenage-
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