Teens need nine hours of sleep but studies say most get only seven

According to the Nationwide Children’s Organization, the average teen gets seven hours of sleep, a two-hour difference from what studies show teen-agers need. 

This problem is, to an extent, unique to the United States. Our education system is more rigorous than most in the world. There are many hours of homework every day and because of the competitive educative, teens are forced to stay up into the late hours of the night (and early hours of the morning) finishing their work. 

According to the Nationwide Children’s Organization, the average teen gets seven hours of sleep, a two-hour difference from what studies show teen-agers need. 

This problem is, to an extent, unique to the United States. Our education system is more rigorous than most in the world. There are many hours of homework every day and because of the competitive educative, teens are forced to stay up into the late hours of the night (and early hours of the morning) finishing their work. 

As a result, teens who do not sleep enough experience:

Mood issues. An increase of irritability and a decrease in the ability to control their mood.

Behavior issues. Sleep deprivation has shown to increase risk taking such as drinking or driving fast in teens.

Cognitive ability. Teens suffer from memory problems, decision making, trouble focusing, poor reaction time, and are less creative to their counterparts.

Low academic performance. The less sleep teens get, the less likely they are to do well on a test or even do their homework. 

Dangerous driving. Teens are much more likely to either fall asleep at the wheel or get into an accident.

If these sound familiar, it is because these are all stereotypes given to teens by adults.

Many don’t take this issue very seriously. Sleep is not seen as such a significant factor in teenage life, especially if you have strict parents. They don’t care if you didn’t sleep last night, what matters is going to class and getting that A++ to make them proud.

It is a chronic mentality, especially in America where education is the first 24 years of a person’s life. 

And that’s exactly why we should make a change in our school systems.

If teens get more sleep, more teens will be successful, not only in school but in life as well. Some suggested approaches have been to start school at a later time and increase the amount of time away from school. Unfortunately, this is not very likely to happen any time soon, so here are some things that can help:

Maintain a regular sleep schedule. Organize your time wisely so all work is done and you can sleep at a reasonable time.

Do not oversleep on the weekends. Sleeping after your brain has finished its REM cycle can negatively impact your sleeping habits.

Turn off electronics and spend less time looking at a screen. Noises and lights can trick your brain into thinking it is daytime, mixing up your mental timer.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, smoking and drugs. 

Take afternoon naps. Anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes is beneficial.

The reality is sleep is an underlying factor in the success of teens and sleeping in can actually make teens smarter and more available to education.