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Teen Years

Sleep-Deprived Cell phones and computers -- or bedtime? By OC FamilyPublished: December, 2004

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School has always kept most students busy studying for tests, finishing homework, participating in extracurricular activities and balancing a social life at the same time. But with the holidays arriving, students’ already endless “to-do” lists include everything from last-minute shopping to preparing for finals and spending the usual three hours a night on the computer and phone. How will we ever find time to sleep? We won’t, because we don’t. A National Sleep Foundation survey conducted in 2002 found that 74% of all Americans are sleep-deprived. Among teenagers, sleeping four to five hours a day, compared to the necessary nine to 10 hours, has become the norm. I must admit that the burden of homework and tests is not the only subject to blame for our lack of sleep. Instead of staying up until 4 a.m. cramming for a test, students waste valuable sleep time playing computer games, chatting or using the phone. Think of all those late-night free minutes. A Harris Interactive and Teenage Research Unlimited survey found in 2003 that people ages 13 to 24 spent 16.7 hours a week surfing the Internet, 13.6 hours watching television and 7.7 hours talking on the phone. Like most parents, my mom and dad can’t tell the difference between me researching on the Internet and chatting with my friends. This makes it easier for me to get away with spending hours on the computer. They won’t find my three-hour-long chats in the middle of the night on the phone bill either, thanks to the unlimited nighttime minutes most phone services offer. Unfortunately, having fun in the middle of the night comes at a price. The effects of lack of sleep range from making wrong and unsafe decisions to having difficulty concentrating and staying awake in class. Those of us who would rather waste hours on the Internet and cell phone risk getting health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and a weak immune system. Less than 9 hours of sleep can cause students to feel depressed and irritable. Yet, even more disturbing than the growth of a sleep-deprived, zombie nation are the fatal consequences of this transformation. Drowsiness from insufficient sleep has caused about 100,000 sleep-related vehicle crashes, which result in 1,500 deaths every year. Drivers under 25 years of age cause half the accidents. In order to prevent these harmful consequences, the National Sleep Foundation suggests students abide by a healthy sleeping schedule, even if this means not taking advantage of a phone service’s nighttime minutes. Instead of watching television or playing computer games right before bed, students should try to relax. Mom and dad may not know what you are really up to late at night, but do yourself a favor. This Christmas, give up a few hours chatting or talking on the phone and give your bodies the much-needed gift of sleep.

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