Sleep, everyone needs it yet most individuals receive less of it than they would like to admit. The average human spends a third of their life in sleep, and yet there exists many misconceptions and misunderstandings on the topic. So, in the most basic sense, what does sleep actually mean?
When the muscles become relaxed, eyes close shut and consciousness of surroundings turns dark, a person has gone to sleep. But why do people need this sleep? During sleep, humans might not have consciousness, but the body still works. It maintains healthy brain function, maintains physical health and helps regenerate and recharge. The nature of the question of who needs sleep the most makes it impossible to answer, however, based on how much sleep an age group acquires compared to how much they should: teenagers need sleep the most.
According to Stanford, 87% of teenagers remain sleep-deprived. Teenagers should aim to sleep between eight to 10 hours every day. However, when school runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., without even considering extracurriculars, it makes it difficult to the correct amount of sleep. Homework, other activities, jobs, chores and hobbies only make the situation worse. Mobile phones and other entertainment devices don’t help the case, but the everyday business of an average teenager’s life makes this lack of sleep unacceptable.
Teens also need sleep because they go through a growth phase, physically and mentally. According to a study by UCLA, sleep affects a host of physical outcomes for adolescents, including obesity, inflammation and school achievement. It can even cause other outcomes like heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and potential strokes. Most of these effects can become serious later on in life. Teens, the leaders of tomorrow, should not have to suffer from these issues. They should have the opportunity to prosper and grow without the worry of a lack of sleep.
The same study from UCLA also finds that the most significant evidence on the importance of sleep for adolescents relates to mental health. Teens have unstable mental health, with their growing brains and curious minds, they tend to have a very impulsive attitude. A lack of sleep only makes them more impulsive as it causes depression and anxiety and increases emotional reactivity.
Teens need sleep the most. For those who disagree, the facts speak for themselves. Experts agree that teenagers have the greatest need for sleep compared to what they usually get. They also agree that the overwhelming amount of schoolwork contributes most to the lack of sleep. Teachers reducing homework or not giving out as many assignments with such short deadlines offer a potential solution. High school students, unlike college students, have nine different classes and subjects rather than one main focus, meaning they can not spend their whole afternoon on one assignment from nine different classes and by the time an average high school student finishes their homework for the day, they are left with far less than 10 hours to sleep
