Bussey 1

Elizabeth Bussey
Mrs. Pettay
ENG 111 3A
23 October 2015
Statistics on Teenagers Sleep
Unfortunately, many high school students seem too tired to participate in classes.
According to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation, only fifteen percent of teenagers
reported sleeping at least eight hours on school nights, yet researchers have determined that
teenagers need between eight to ten hours of sleep nightly in order to function at their best. This
means an incredible eighty-five percent of teenagers start their school days with less than
adequate sleep. This lack of sleep makes students more likely to experience health related issues
and negatively impacts their daily performance.
Not getting enough sleep causes physiological issues in teenagers. According to Better
Health. Gov and Healthline, sleep deprivation negatively affects teenagers physical and mental
health. Sleep deprivation can make teenagers clumsier, have decreased alertness, cause weight
gain, and create respiratory problems. Lack of sleep can also affect teenagers mental health by
making them become more moody, make poor decisions, have a shorter attention span, and
become depressed. Having these effects as a teenager can make it more difficult to learn in
school, do normal daily activities, and maintain good relationships with friends and family. Thus,
a good nights sleep stands as a vital factor in a teenagers quality of life.

Bussey 2
Additionally, sleep deprivation weakens teenagers performance. Apart from the personal
reasons affecting students, the start time of the school day also plays a vital role in limiting sleep.
An NBC news article states that only seventeen percent of U.S. schools begin their day at 8:30
am or later. This means that eighty-three percent of students rise at an extremely early hour.
When students arrive at school without the right amount of sleep, their academic performance
declines. Once they come home from school, their motivation and energy for doing homework
and after school activities also decrease. Couple that with the hormonal time shift that students
experience, the result leads to an exhausted student body. Accordingly, the end result of too little
sleep is a limitation of students potential.
Many studies confirm the importance of getting a good nights sleep. The added pressures
for a teenager today makes it tough to balance schoolwork, after school activities, homework,
and sleep. The amount of sleep teenagers get can affect teens all the way through adulthood. The
alternative to ignoring the issue of sleep deprivation fosters a continuation of the pattern of
reduced health benefits and negative academic performance.

Bussey 3

Works Cited
Fox, Maggie. "U.S. Schools Kids Start Too Early, Study Finds." NBC News. NBC News, 7 Aug.
2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
Pietrangelo, Ann. "Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Body." Healthline. N.p., 19 Aug. 2014.
Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
"Teenagers and Sleep - Better Health Channel." Better Health Channel. N.p., 26 Aug. 2015.
Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
"Teens and Sleep." Sleep for Teenagers. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.