Summary: The Influence Of Stress On Teens

Improved Essays
In today’s busy world, some of the most important aspects of maintaining one’s health are forgotten. Although crucial to our health and survival, sleep has been pushed out of many people’s schedules, particularly teenagers. Between school, homework, after-school jobs, sports, extra-curricular activities, friends, relationships, family, and pursuing personal interests, teenagers today can barely find time to sleep. Teenagers today face an extreme amount of stress as they are expected to excel in all aspects of their lives, and this pressure keeps them from getting the sleep they need to be most efficient. Despite the fact that more sleep would help teens be healthier and less stressed, many tend to spend their hours doing “more important” activities. As a result, teenagers experiences some of the most crippling effects lack of sleep …show more content…
Often, feelings of anxiety and depression are started and enhanced by continuous lack of sleep because the area of the brain associated with processing emotions is affected by lack of sleep as well as anxiety (Nauert, Rick). Just like anxiety, depression is triggered by lack of sleep and vice versa, making those affected feel stuck in an endless cycle. Many teenagers feel symptoms of anxiety and depression regardless of sleep, so the addition of this stress only adds to these feelings. Several symptoms of anxiety and depression can in turn affect the social life of teenagers, including the previously mentioned irritability as well as a loss of motivation, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, and lowered self-esteem. These feelings can leave teenagers feeling isolated and crippled, and often causes them to withdraw from socializing with friends and family (“Anxiety and Depression in Children”). Although many recognize all the negative effects of sleep, they begin to believe they can function without it and continuously lose important hours of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Web. 27 May 2016. http://www.nap.edu/read/11633/chapter/3 "Teens and Sleep." Sleep for Teenagers. N.p., n.d. Web.…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Teens need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day,” says the National Sleep Foundation’s website, which describes the facts and consequences of sleep deprivation for teens. We have all heard the phrase, yet to most of us this advice seems unrealistic and impossible due to students various extracurricular activities and responsibilities which cause late bedtimes to be a common occurrence for teenagers. Recent research shows that as an adolescent, our biological sleep patterns make it difficult for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 PM. This proves that getting to bed earlier is not a simple solution. Going through the day feeling tired and moody is not beneficial to students nor to schools, teachers, or staff.…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As Richter puts it, “Sleep deprivation increases the likelihood that teenagers will suffer a myriad [of] negative consequences, including...thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts.” In other words, Richter believes that teenagers can more easily become hopeless when sleep deprived. In addition, a lack of sleep can lead to mood problems. Richter agrees when she writes, “Sleep is believed to help regulate many emotions, and its deprivation is an underlying component of many mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and mood disorders.” Richter believes that without adequate sleep teenagers are left with little control over their emotions.…

    • 2062 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many schools in America start school earlier than 8:30 a.m, resulting in tired students, most generally teens. Here at The Preston High School the start time is 7:53 a.m. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2002 Sleep in America poll, 80% said high schools should start no earlier than 8:00 a.m. each day. Many students complain throughout the school day of being tired because there are getting less than the recommended 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep due to homework and extra-curricular activities. Later start times could improve mood, performance, attendance, and alertness in students.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sleep loss causes high rates depression,suicidal ideation,and obesity. Long term deprivation also shows lower test scores,decreased attention span, tardiness,concentration,and overall academic achievement. Students who don't get enough sleep often suffer physical and mental health problems, an increased risk of automobile accidents and a decline in academic performance. The reasons for teens lack of sleep are complicated, and include homework, activities, after-school jobs and use of technology that can keep them up late on weeknights.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Have you ever wanted to stay in bed on a school day? Many teens (middle school/high school) have to wake up very early to get to school,give them more time to sleep!Not getting enough sleep can cause unhealthy states, Schools who have put back school times are getting better grades, and teens need 8.5 hours of sleep which is nearly impossible with the time of school homework and after school activities. First off, If teens do not get enough sleep they can get into very bad states. Illness, depression, anxiety, and obesity. All those are very bad for not getting enough sleep.…

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    All middle and High schools should start the educational day later to allow the adequate amount of sleep for America’s teenage youth. Too many schools across the country begin the day before student minds are awake, alert, and ready to successfully take on the day. Students from the sixth to twelfth grade are currently attending school before their brains have had time to prepare for the day. This makes everything they do, including simple everyday tasks, far more of a challenge than it typically should be. Oftentimes, teenagers, as well as society as a whole, put sleep on the backburner.…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent 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

    In Joan Esherick’ s (2004) leading publication, Dead on Their Feet, it was concluded that the number of adolescents having sleep deficiency or deprivation had been rising. This has lead to increased risks of unintentional injury and death, low grades and poor school performance, negative moods, and increased likelihood of stimulant use (Esherick 65). Without the guaranteed rest that the human body must acquire, the ability to establish the correct decisions is impaired, putting individuals in an alternate state of mind. This state that people are put in cause them to be reckless,restless and unknown of what is to come. Nothing is safe when an individual is unaware of what they are doing.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Most believe that if teens do not acquire enough sleep at night, that is leads to grumpiness, anger, and aggression. The inability to obtain 9.25 hours of sleep could be led back to many problems. Some inhibitors of sleep include tablets, phones, and video games. Many teens receive these electronic devises at a young age, which teaches them that technology such as video games, television, and various apps are just as much hobbies as playing soccer, running track, or even knitting. Staying up late on these devices interferes with a child’s or teens ability to acquire 9.25 hours of sleep.…

    • 1121 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    School Start Times Teenagers today face an extensive long-term health problems, but one big problem is sleep deprivation. Teenaers need at least 9 ¼ hours of sleep per night causing teens to be among the least likely to get enough sleep. They tend to only get on average seven hours per night on school nights due to homework and afternoon and before school activities. Sleep deprivation impairs the ability to be alert, pay attention, solve problems, and retain information. Students who are in middle school and high school need to go to school later in the day due to depression and stress, drowsy driving, and biological changes.…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved 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

    School related stress takes a toll on a students’ sleep schedule, causing their sleep quality and quantity to quickly deteriorate. For example, when overwhelmed by school related anxieties many teens find themselves unable to fall asleep. In further support of this idea, Lindsey Holmes, in her article, “5 Ways Stress Wrecks Your Sleep,” published in The Huffington Post on September 17, 2014, declares that, when overwhelmed by school related anxieties many teens find themselves unable to fall asleep. This lack of sleep has many effects on teens which can range anywhere from a decrease in memory quality, experiencing an irritable mood or to a heightened risk of becoming ill due to a weakened immune system. In addition, Robbins…

    • 617 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
  • Improved Essays

    Teenagers And Sleep Essay

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Teenagers and Sleep: Why They Cannot Get Enough Sleep deprivation is a common, dangerously unnoticed problem in many Americans today, especially those involved in work and education (Shaw). However, the problem is severely more apparent in the adolescent population, which can be attributed to the increased need for sleep in adolescents. Compared to children, adults, and seniors, teenagers require an abnormally large amount of uninterrupted sleep, a sharp inconsistency in the otherwise inversely linear progression of necessary sleep with age. The reason lies in a multitude of factors- due to environmental factors and the cultural day to day routine, teenagers are inhibited in their nightly rest. As a result, they are sleep deprived and lack the necessary…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics