Running head: TEEN SLEEP NEEDS 1

Teen Sleep Needs and How it Effects Their Development

Roger J. Wohlferd

Arizona State University

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Abstract

Adolescents face many challenges in their education, but one challenge that can have

major long-term health effects on teens is sleep deprivation. Teens need an average of 8 to 10

hours of sleep a night, yet due to external circumstances many are unable to meet the need of

their bodies. This report seeks to analyze the cause and effects of sleep deprivation, while also

reviewing the sleep needs of teens in accordance to the internal regulations of circadian rhythms.

The causes of not getting enough are varied per individual, and even more so sleep deprivation

can affect each person in drastically different ways.

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Teen Sleep Needs and How it Effects Their Development

Sleep Requirements in Teens.

Sleep is a necessary function of humans; it is what helps our bodies maintain order. nerve

functions and communication, hormone balances, toxin removal, and brain management are all

vital functions of life that are regulated through sleep. Thus, it is rather obvious that getting a

proper amount of sleep is necessary in order to develop and live healthily (Brain Basics). The

necessary amount of sleep needed is varied based on age, and not meeting those needs may have

negative effects on one’s lifestyle and health. For instance, while an adult may only need seven

hours of sleep per night, a toddler might need around thirteen hours of sleep to maintain energy

and proper development. Age is clearly an important factor, as proper sleep is necessary for

children’s bodies and minds to positively grow. Moreover, how well students succeed in their

education is also influenced by sleep. Therefore, this issue is especially important at the middle

school and high school level. At these levels, adolescents are undergoing biological growth,

developing their critical thinking and decision-making skills, and learning about themselves

along with their placement in the world, so getting a full amount of sleep is vital to best deal with

such pressures. To this point, during such a period of growth, teens need approximately nine to

ten hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, many of todays adolescents are unable to obtain that

amount due to a variety of reasons, and as such, sleep deprivation has been a major issue

surrounding adolescent development and education (Carpenter, 2001).

Causes of Sleep Deprivation.

Sleep deprivation isn’t a simple issue with a straightforward fix. It can affect anybody

due to various internal or external reasons, which makes it rather dangerous in a sense.

According to recent statistics, it is estimated that about 70% of adults in America suffer from
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sleep deprivation every now and then, and 11% suffer from a lack of sleep regularly. In

consideration of adolescents, about 87% of high school students deal with chronic sleep

deprivation (Klein, 2015). These numbers are staggering and especially outline how common it

is for youth to be impacted by a consistent lack of sleep. Despite, sleep deprivation being so

prevalent, its cause is not as straight forward especially with youth. The major causes of sleep

deprivation in adolescents can range from lack of time due to other priorities or obligations, sleep

disorders, hormonal shifts in internal clocks, or even over stimulation. All these factors can

seriously impact teens’ abilities to get an appropriate amount of sleep. One of the most prevalent

factors in a student’s inability to sleep is obligations they partake in after school. Many students

participate in clubs and sport, and some even work jobs; these extra-curriculars in combination

with homework can hinder students in getting to bed on time. Teens tend to overwork themselves

as they have so many pressures that cause them to put sleep lower on their list of priorities.

Another major cause of sleep deprivation is sleeping disorders which individuals may have no

control over without medical assistance. Even at young ages, adolescents can suffer from a sleep

disorders such as insomnia, which prevents them from falling asleep or staying asleep, or

students could be suffering from disorders such as sleep apnea or restless limb movement, which

prevents people from sleeping and regulating the body properly. All these disorders can thwart

students from sleeping well (Better Health, 2018). Much like sleep disorders, which are out of

teens’ control, many adolescents struggle with going to sleep and waking at an appropriate time

due to the hormonal shifts in internal clocks, also known as circadian rhythms. Circadian

rhythms are the internal biological clocks that regulate our days and bodies in correlation with

day and night cycles; it helps our bodies transition through tiredness and alertness at regular

intervals. This is major biological factor that influences how we sleep, but circadian rhythms
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change as you get older. As adolescents develop, their circadian rhythms change and likewise

conflict with regular sleep schedules. Through studies it has become apparent that teens sleep

cycles shift with their circadian rhythms so that they are not typically ready to sleep until

midnight or later and don’t want to wake up until about 10AM (National Sleep Foundation). This

internal shift mixed with school start times factors greatly into why so many teens struggle with

sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is far too common, and it is rather hard to overcome, which

is what makes it so daunting for teens. They already have enough pressure and changes occurring

in their lives, and a lack of sleep will only make it harder to deal with them or even cause more

issues to ensue.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation.

Sleep deprivation can have subtle symptoms initially, an example of which may be

drowsiness or inability to concentrate. While these might seem insignificant, long-term sleep

deprivation can potentially have severe or even fatal repercussions on adolescents. If adolescents

during their development are unable to sleep, there could be detrimental effects to their mental

and physical health. Initially, a teen may just show signs of drowsiness, but drowsiness can cause

their brain to lose some functionality. For instance, a student who has a hefty workload at school

and works a part time job may only be able to get an average of 5-7 hours of sleep a night. They

are not able to regenerate their energy levels, nor balance their hormones; it is at this point that

sleep deprivation impacts their life. Besides being tired, adolescents could begin to be unable to

maintain concentration or their memory could become impaired. If their brains are unable to

reset and monitor proper growth them functionality is in danger of being impeded. Moreover,

further complications can ensue; major risks being mental illnesses like depression and/or
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anxiety, health risks (i.e. strokes, obesity, heart disease), mood swings, or even potential life

threating instances such as car accidents from inability to focus on the road. To this point, sleep

deprivation can have significant impacts on adolescents, and it is a vital issue that should be

addressed and made note of in educational institutes, so students can possibly get assistance in

getting sleep. (Owens, 2014)

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References

Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/patient-caregiver-education/understanding-sleep.

Carpenter, S. (2001). Sleep Deprivation May be Undermining Teen Health. Retrieved from

https://www.apa.org/monitor/oct01/sleepteen.

Department of Health & Human Services. (2018). Teenagers and sleep. Retrieved from

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep.

Klein, R. (2015). 'Historic' Seattle Schools Vote Aims To Make Students Happier, Healthier.

Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/seattle-school-start-

times_n_564d57f8e4b00b7997f941d5.

National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). What is Circadian Rhythm? Retrieved from

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/what-circadian-rhythm.

Owens, J. (2014). Insufficient Sleep in Adolescents and Young Adults: An Update on Causes and

Consequences. Retrieved from

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/134/3/e921.full.pdf.