Sleeping In Middle School

As a result of a changing body and mind, adolescent sleep cycles have different needs than those of adults or younger children. As a matter of fact, Biologically, sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence -- meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm (“Teens”). In addition to biological change in sleep patterns, teenagers also tend to have eccentric sleep cycles. Obtaining less than healthy hours of sleep during the school week and then catching up on their sleep on the weekends. Most teenagers during the school week, do not get the suggested amount of sleep. In fact, according to a recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 80% of teenagers do not get the suggested amount of sleep of 9 hours on school nights (“School Start”). With changing bodies and minds, along with an increased amount of schoolwork and extracurricular activities, teenagers need more sleep than children of a younger age. Experts believe that moving back the start time of school for high school students will improve grades, test scores, and the overall health and personality of many students.

Im sure you’ve heard a teenager say “I only get _hours of sleep and i'm fine” However, in the book The Teenage Brain, Frances Jensen shares her research about how many hours of sleep a teenager should get at night and the main causes of sleep deprivation. Teenagers need to be informed that Sleep deprivation among all ages can have a major impact on the actions and lives of people especially teenagers because their brains are developing at such a fast pace. This finding challenges the belief that it’s only a short term effect, like you’ll only be affected the morning ahead. As a result that's why most teenagers grow up to have long term problems or are always stressed.

Only about fifteen percent of teens obtain the preferred eight hours of sleep they need to function properly (Neuroscience for Kids, 2010). Sixty percent of teens say that they are “tired” and fifteen percent fall asleep in class (School and Sleep Times, 2011). This shows that high schoolers are not getting

The current average amount of sleep every night is about 6.8 hours, when in 1942, the average was 8 hours (Friedman). “Teens need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function best. Most teens do not get enough sleep.” (Teens and Sleep). One good thing that would be that all the negative parts of sleep deprivation would be an opposite of what would happen if a student were to sleep enough.

Imagine flying across the country and having to instantly adjust to the new time zone every day for four years. The sleep deprivation and difficulty of that situation roughly equates to the sleep schedule of someone going through puberty. Our current school schedule is asking young, growing students to cut more than an hour off of the recommended sleep amount for their age. Whether the district is able to move the middle school start time closer to the high school start time or move the middle school start time to after the high school start time, depending on time needed for buses, I highly recommend changing it. Students would benefit if the Juneau School District changed the start time of middle school to a later time.

The amount of sleep that teens, and young adults get at night is low. Teens need eight and a half to nine hours of sleep per night as doctors recommend(McKibben)(Reynolds). Many people in the United States only get around seven hours of sleep. Everyone has a unique sleep rhythm and for teens it seems harder for them to fall asleep and to wake up, compared to adults. Scientific studies suggest that females seem to inherit a longer

Teens typically need a little more than nine hours of nightly sleep to feel alert and well rested during the day” (Sleep

Sleep is a fundamental need for everyone who needs sleep. Sleep is as important as eating food and drinking fluids. But teens are the ones seen not getting enough sleep. It is proven that teenagers get the minimum hours of sleep than any other age group. Teenagers are seen getting 5 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep can affect many thing in a negative way such as abilities to learn,listen, pay attention,drive,mental health, and physical health.

As a person gets older, the amount of sleep needed each night gets less. Teenagers are an exception to that rule. The years from 15 to 18 packs on a whole new level of stress. Exams, homework, after school clubs, jobs, college, relationships, it’s all running through our heads at every second of every day. With a jammed packed schedule, hormones running wild, and teachers loading up the work, we could use some slack. If that could come in the form of a better night’s sleep, we’d be eternally grateful.

The a mount of sleep that is need for a person varies with age. Especially when younger ages 1-3 need 12-14 hours of sleep and children 3-5 need 11-13 hours, But this varies on the child some children need more sleep than others and others can make it with less (Roy-Bornstein, 2012). What Roy-Bornstein is talking about is the correct amount of sleep need for children to teenagers and how it varies with the child, but this survey came out in 2012 so it could of changed. Since sleep is so important, there are things such as pre-bed time routines that can help. UCLA and the university of Washington did research that it is better for anyone to do quiet pre-bed activities, such as reading or being read to instead of drinking coffee before bed.

It is estimated that only 15 percent actually get these amounts (Kids Suffer from Sleep Deprivation). This is particularly important for students who wish to do well in school. Dr. Carl Hunt, the director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, is spearheading a sleep campaign. Her philosophy is, “Sleep well, do well.” This is something that shouldn’t be taken to lightly. Sleep problems effect about 70 million Americans of all ages. Teens often have problems with daytime sleepiness. The old idea of early to bed, early to rise isn’t necessarily the best answer. Society is simply asking to much of teens (Sleep experts to teens). A combination of school, work, study and leisure, leaves very little time left for sleep. Being deprived of sleep definitely has an effect on how well students do in school and may be putting their health at risk. College students who stay up all night to study for a test or write a big paper that’s due often have no choice because of the pressures to do well and succeed, but at what price do they pay?

In my experiences, I learned a valuable lesson about not staying up after midnight. I wasn't a troublemaking kid at home or school, but I had one major issue that affects my primary dream. In the Winter 2012, I used to be a night owl staying up very late in middle school. Mainly, I'll be staying up all night to watch random online videos, TV shows, and playing video games.

Sleep is a concept that many students and adults hold dearly. There is nothing better than a good nap or a full hour or so of sleep, however, how much sleep we are expected to have daily is sometimes unknown and we may not be getting the recommended hours

Sleep is one of the most important things a person does each day. It allows the body to rest and to replenish itself so that it is better able to serve its function of living. Yet many people who don't have enough hours in the day to do everything have to cut out sleep before any other activity. This is especially true for teenagers, who most nights are frantically trying to finish writing essays and completing worksheets before the clock strikes twelve, or are busy participating in after school sports that leave them weary and return them home late. Most adolescents need at least eight hours of sleep each night. But the National Sleep Foundation estimates that only 15 percent of teenagers get that much, with 25 percent of teens getting

According to the National Sleep Foundation, fifty percent of American teenagers are not getting the sleep needed to have a healthy, and productive school year. Although, going to sleep at a proper time is a personal choice, there are many factors that can play a role in preventing teenagers from getting the suggested nine and a half hours of sleep every single night, including weekends. In my opinion too many teens resort to, hanging out with friends, working or staying up late to do school work, instead of going to sleep at a proper time. Natural physical body changes are also reasons of lost sleep in adolescents. This essay will discuss what sleep is, the many reasons why teenagers lose sleep, and ways to get better sleep. (NSF)