Dehydrated In High School

If one walked into a high school or middle school classroom of 50 students, probably eight would have slept enough the night before, thirty of them would complain of being tired, twenty of them would have dieted in the past year, thirteen of them would not drink a sip of water all day, and more than twenty five of them would be dehydrated. MORE Without the basic necessities they need, teens are not able to live and perform at their best. By not sleeping, eating, or drinking as recommended by health professionals, teens are hurting themselves mentally and physically. A small amount of high schoolers are getting the sleep they need to excel at school, in sports, and in other important activities during the day. Eighty seven percent of teens get less than the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep a night (Ritcher). Fifty eight percent of teens age fifteen to seventeen sleep less than seven hours a night on a regular basis (Lahey). Only about fifteen percent of teens claim they sleep at least eight and a half hours on school night (“Teens”). There are many reasons why teens aren’t getting enough sleep. One reason is they can’t fall …show more content…
One study shows that as little as 1.36 percent fluid loss can decrease focus and increase the likelihood of headaches (Gunnars). "When you are dehydrated, even just a little, studies have shown your energy level will drop as well as your ability to focus" (Branner). Even just mild dehydration can cause dry mouth, dry skin sleepiness, headaches, constipation, dizziness, muscle cramps, and nausea (Mercola). It can also affect your endurance and ability to do things for long periods of time. More sever dehydration has even harsher and scarier effects such as extreme thirst, confusion, rapid heartbeat, and even death (Mercola). Teens should just be more conscious of staying hydrated so that they are not negatively