Sleeping Habits In America

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. Once Sarah walks out the door she will head to school for a day full of learning. Sarah’s first class starts at 7:30 a.m. and her final class ends at 2:45 p.m. Once she gets done her classes Sarah has an after school meeting for a club she’s involved in. Once this meeting ends at 4 p.m., Sarah gets in her car and drives to soccer practice. Sarah stays at soccer from five until seven and then drives home. At eight o’clock she sits down to dinner with her family. After eating dinner and taking a quick shower it is 9 o’clock. Sarah finally begins her homework. After doing most of her homework Sarah is exhausted and falls asleep. It is 12:30 a.m. In just 360 minutes Sarah has to wake up and do it all over again. 180 days a year Sarah gets by on just 360 minutes of sleep. Most Americans can agree that this pattern of sleep is unhealthy and unfit for a growing adolescent. However, this scenario is common for many teenagers across America. Perpetuated by the structure of …show more content…
Teenagers who received less than seven hours of sleep per night were more likely to engage in dangerous and risky behaviors (Wallace, 2016). These dangerous behaviors included texting and driving, drinking and driving, and not wearing a seatbelt. Activities such as drunk driving and not wearing a seatbelt, can be fatal. While most healthy people would never choose to partake in these risky behaviors, teenagers who have not received sufficient sleep are more likely to partake in these dangerous acts. These behaviors not only demonstrate the powerful effects that sleep deprivation has on decision making but they also can be