'Hard Lesson In Sleep For Teenagers'

Improved Essays
Sleep Deprivation Article Analysis

Sleep deprivation affects children, teenagers, and adults, but researchers debate over who it affects more. In Jane Brody’s article “Hard Lesson in Sleep for Teenagers”, she argues that teenagers feel the effects of sleep deprivation more than any other group of people. Brody uses numerous literary tools and appeals to support her claim throughout her writing.

Primarily, logical appeal appears most frequently throughout the passage. Brody states that research shows teenagers needing eight and a half to nine and a half hours of sleep each night, but poll results record that not even 20 percent achieve that amount of rest. She also includes the findings of a study done in Virginia that states that “only six percent of children in the 10th grade and only three percent in the 12th grade get the recommended amount of sleep”. These statistics help to support the part of Brody’s argument that says teens don’t get enough sleep by providing statistics on how few teens actually get the correct amount of sleep. In the article, the
…show more content…
The analogy used compares sleep deprivation to drunk driving. The actual quote is spoken by Dr. Owens and states that driving while sleep deprived is similar to driving after consuming three or four beers. Owens sheds light on the fact that it wouldn’t be expected for someone to drive after consuming that much alcohol not only because it’s illegal, but because it’s extremely dangerous, yet teenagers are allowed to get behind the wheel while sleep deprived. Drunk driving has caused so many people so much pain and is an idea that is despised by so many people, and the fact that it is so comparable to something as common as driving while tired is something that will compel readers to accept Brody’s claim. The danger sleep deprivation puts teens in is made more apparent is this analogy which is what Brody was trying to

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    In the article from LA Times, “Sleep Deprivation Has Genetic Consequences, Study Finds,” Eryn Brown discusses that the lack of sleep can cause genetic consequences. Brown says when night-shift workers or college crammers who stay up late have problems in their health. She states, “...get less than our fair share of zzz’s are more likely to be obese and to suffer cardiovascular woes than people get a consistent…”, she’s saying if people don’t get the required sleep they need, there could be serious health issues. She also says, “...lack in sleep in general --- have higher rate of diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure...” which means you can get critical diseases by not getting your proper sleep. She also claims, “...were allowed to stay in bed for 10 hours on seven consecutive nights…” this was for the people who was in her experiment, they would only be allowed to sleep for a special amount of time, at the end of the week, she’d check the results.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Readers of the articles “Sacrificing Sleep? This Is What It Will Do to Your Health” and “Yes, Sitting Too Long Can Kill You, Even If You Exercise” will notice their similarities and differences in purpose and tone. In the sacrificing sleep article, the purpose of the article is clear as the authors advocate for the population to get more sleep. The bias of the article is what shows the true purpose and can be seen in this conclusion in the article, “A lack of sleep therefore impacts your ability to pay attention, learn new things, be creative, solve problems and make decisions.” This was drawn after the findings of a study telling of the effects of sleep deprivation were presented.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The article written by Frank Bruni titled “Today’s Exhausted Superkids,” discusses exactly what the title implies. His main focus in this article is to show the effect of the lack of sleep on young teens in high school to his readers. Bruni explains that sleep is a “...prerequisite for healthy growth. It’s a linchpin of sanity...fundamental and nonnegotiable….” Throughout the article, statistics are given to prove his point; they include facts about the amount of sleep students in high school get and what they should be getting, issues with smartphones, and the prevalence of depression and anxiety.…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Frank Bruni’s article, “Today’s Exhausted Superkids” offers his insight on the lack of sleep of teens. This article is a response to Overloaded and Underprepared, and in particular, the passages in the book about sleep. Bruni discusses multiple reasons for the lack of sleep among high school students. He considers anxiety the most prevalent cause. He believes this anxiety is due to students maintaining their status as high-achieving students, acing every test, and staying ahead of their competitive peers.…

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In “The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction,” by the National Institute of Mental Health, it is inferred that the author believes the teen brain is unique from adults; therefore, adolescent brains think and act differently. Moreover, the passage conveys, “… adolescence brings with it brain-based changes in the regulation of sleep that may contribute to teens’ tendency to stay up late at night” (National Institute of Mental Health). The article also explains, “… inadequate sleep is a powerful contributor to irritability and depression” (National Institute of Mental Health). The inference presumed is that the author believes a lack of sleep from the brain-based changes in adolescence can cause mental health issues. This can be concluded because…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    It is saying is that the author is saying how much sleep is a enough. In source 1# it is saying that napes deal with sleepiness and also with drowsiness. Well in my perspective you never get enough sping also renews a person's energy. According to source 2# people across the whole world adults think children under the age of 16-15 should only take naps.…

    • 213 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    I am writing to you on behalf of your influential book, “The Teenage Brain”. Your experience and expertise as a neurosurgeon has me confident in your abilities to understand how much sleep teenagers need for a healthy lifestyle. As a teenager myself, I am constantly in need of more sleep. Not only do my peers and I lack sleep, but also constantly stressing about school and all the tasks we must manage in such a short period of time. I am Mie Pretlow, a current junior at Niceville High School concerned with the nightly sleep schedule of current teens.…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The teenagers I know tend to stay up way after 11 p.m. and they do not look drowsy at all. These studies are just a load of another way of letting kids off the hook for sleeping in class. Just like now all kids get a trophy for just “playing” a game. Not one wants to take ownership of their own future.…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Therefore, their bodies are in chronic sleep deprivation. Chronic sleep deprivation is exactly what it sounds like, prolonged loss of sleep. These teens living with chronic sleep deprivation are affected physically, mentally, and their behavioral health is impacted as well. Teachers and parents often overlook these…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Later School Times Safer

    • 1394 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Logic of the Article: “Later School Times Would Make Teens Safer” John MacHalec, a concerned parent in Mounds View School District writes the article: “Later School Times Would Make Teens Safer” with a purpose to improve health and safety of the young people, especially high schoolers. The purpose is not stated till the end of the article, but it is stated clearly. The author’s urge for parents to take an action directly follows his stated purpose, giving the readers an accessible venue to look for the purpose of the article. It also encompasses the two factors-safety and health-that he brings up with his reasons. To further analyze the article to compare it to the intellectual standards, following intellectual elements were identified:…

    • 1394 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Young people who do not get enough sleep, carry a significant risk for drowsy…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When middle school students start school they are tiered, and many people think that is normal and won’t affect their grades, safety, or health. Well that is incorrect, research shows that less sleep a student has equals a negative effect on their health, grades, and safety. Sleep is an important part of a growing “teen”, but itis also an important to learning and to safety, plus Without a good amount of sleep, students grades will drop drastically. For example, if someone is a straight “A” student, and they get tired more and more frequently, their grades could go from “A’s” to “C’s and D's”.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Chap 3 Lifespan Essay

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages

    According to a research conducted by Mary Carskadon in (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011), she has found that adolescents sleep an average of 9 hours and 25 minutes. And Carskadon also found that older adolescents are often more sleepy during the day than are younger adolescents. In fact, her research suggests that adolescent biological clocks undergo a hormonal phase shift as they get older, because the shift was cause by a delay in the nightly presence of the hormone melatonin produce by the pineal gland found in the brain. Many adults don’t get adequate sleep. The average American adult gets just under seven hours of sleep at night.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Later School Start Times

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages

    People worldwide are concerned about schools starting too early in the day and have been debating about the benefits of later school start times. Every weekday, students must face the struggle of waking up early to get ready for school without getting enough sleep the night before. Schools starting at a later time during weekdays would allow students to have extra time to sleep in the morning and be more alert and focused. This can result in less sleep-related car accidents and tardies. It can also provide opportunities for students to succeed in school because studies show that alert students are more willing to study and understand concepts than if they were tired.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Sleeping Habits In America

    • 1656 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Six. That is the number of hours of sleep Sarah got last night. Six hours, that is equal to just 360 minutes of sleep. It is 6:30 a.m., and the moon is still out, but Sarah is awake. Now that Sarah is awake she must get ready for her day.…

    • 1656 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays