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Noelle Brown

Professor Hunter

English 1201

6 December 2020

How Does Sleep Deprivation Impact Teens?

It is past midnight on a Tuesday and seventeen-year-old Brittany is still awake scrolling

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

electronics/phone/social media (Mostafavi).

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

subjected fourteen to eighteen-year olds to a thirty-six-hour period of sleep deprivation. It

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

and suicidal thoughts.

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,

sleep deprivation makes them more common and worsens them.

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

severe consequence of sleep deprivation.

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

it. Diabetes can be an unfortunate outcome of sleep deprivation.

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

obstructive to teens’ daily lives and should be avoided if possible.

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

the negatives of sleep deprivation.

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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

deprivation. Sleep deprivation negatively impacts teens’ lives.

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Works Cited

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Publishers, 17 Jan. 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleep-

newzzz/201901/what-modern-science-says-about-teen-sleep. Accessed 17 October 2020.

Dunietz, Talia. “Sleep to Feel Well: Sleep and Mood in Teens.” Sleep Education, 2018,

sleepeducation.org/news/2018/10/05/sleep-to-feel-well-sleep-and-mood-in-teens. Accessed

1 November 2020.

Dunster, Gideon P., et al. “What Time Should Middle and High School Students Start School?”

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"

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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

adolescence.” Current opinion in psychiatry vol. 28,6 (2015): 483-9.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=plpdErEoc-Y. Accessed 17 October 2020.

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epidemic.html. Accessed 1 November 2020.

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article=1000&context=fnp_etd. Accessed 1 November 2020.

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2020.