Sleep deprivation is a serious problem among teenagers today. Studies have shown that teenagers are now growing up chronically sleep-deprived. A big part of this is school and the homework they give.

Sleep deprivation can really affect a student in school and in their daily life. Students can struggle to concentrate, their grades could drop, and they could even develop anxiety and depression. Another negative side effect of sleep deprivation is drowsy driving. Sleep-deprived students driving can be very dangerous. 

Homework is a big part of why teenagers today are sleep deprived. Too much homework can result in a lack of sleep, exhaustion, weight loss, and bad eating habits with students choosing fast food for a quick meal. According to a study by Stanford University, 56% of students said homework is a primary source of stress.

Schools can help by giving a study hall or free hour more than once a week or schedule it on a Friday so all the work from the week could get done and the weekend can be used to catch up on sleep. School could also start at a later time in the morning allowing that extra hour or two of sleep.

Most teenagers get nowhere near as much sleep as the recommended 8-10 hours. Some lucky to even get half of that. Teens have a biological tendency to go to sleep later but schools still start at an early hour. Sleep deprivation is an epidemic, so why isn’t it getting more attention?

For more information: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2015/10/among-teens-sleep-deprivation-an-epidemic.html