Sleep and the Body
Sleep is important for a number of reasons. First, the brain regenerates during sleeping periods.  Sleep also regulates bodily functions. Studies have shown that loss of sleep can be linked to cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke.

A study completed at the University of Chicago in 2002 indicated that lack of sleep weakens the body’s immune system which can lead to illness and missed school days.

Lack of sleep also has been connected to heart disease and cancer. Sleep apnea, an often over- looked sleep disorder, causes a 42 percent increased risk of having high blood pressure.

Sleep and Weight Gain
Some studies even suggest that lack of sleep may influence weight, which may be due in part to the role sleep plays in helping the body regulate hormones that trigger hunger.

One study showed that students who only slept four hours each for two nights showed an appetite surge of about 24 percent, particularly for sweets, salty foods and starches.

In 2006, researchers at the University of Chicago found that sleep deprived subjects had an18 percent decrease in leptin, the hormone that signals the brain that food is not needed, and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin, the hormone that sends hunger signals to the body.

Other studies support these findings: one study indicated that volunteers who experienced less than four hours of sleep were 73 percent more likely to be obese.

Sleep and Driving
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to sleep deprivation. This becomes particularly significant when teens reach driving age.

Sleep deprivation causes poor judgment, a slower reaction time, impaired coordination, and increased aggressiveness. The National Highway Traffic Safety Transportation Administration in 2004 estimated that there were more than 56,000 police-cited, driver fatigue accidents per year causing over 1,550 deaths and 40,000 injuries.

Just how prevalent is this in adolescents? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds in 2006.

The National Sleep Foundation reports that in 2006, more than half of adolescent drivers surveyed indicated that they were drowsy behind the wheel and a 2000 study indicates that 55 percent of ‘asleep at the wheel’ crashes are caused by people under the age of 26.

In the United States, driving collisions account for 15 teenage deaths daily. Students who have ADHD and are driving (about five to eight percent of American teens) have an even higher risk. Daniel Cox, a researcher from the University of Virginia, states that for those who have ADHD with inattentive or impulsive tendencies, the risk is “between two and eight times more likely [that they will] be involved in an accident.”

Some states have even taken legal measures to hold drivers accountable. For example, in New Jersey, Maggie’s Law (H.R. 968) punishes drivers with up to 10 years in prison and $150,000 for a fatal accident which results from drowsy driving.

New products are being developed to address exactly this issue, including a machine that can alert drivers when to pull off the road and rest to avoid potential accidents.

How Much is Enough Sleep?
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), an independent non-profit organization, recommends teenagers receive between eight to nine and one half hours of sleep each evening.

But, how much sleep students are actually get- ting is another matter. The actual amount of sleep averaged by adolescents is closer to seven hours each evening.

Much of the lack of sleep for adolescents is due to changes in their circadian rhythms. Typically in teen years, the body’s internal clock experiences a shift, causing difficulty in obtaining sleep prior to 11 PM.

In addition to rhythmic changes, technology and caffeine – 75 percent of the teens in one survey indicated they had at least one caffeinated beverage each day with almost half stating that they consumed two or more – are factors in sleep deprivation.

Helping Your Child Understand Why Sleep Matters
While parents cannot control every aspect of an adolescent’s life, they can provide guidance to and enforcement of children’s sleeping requirements.

Adolescents should be educated regarding the danger of sleep deprivation, especially with regards to driving and information about the importance of sleep.

Lack of sleep is a growing concern. It influences who we are, what we do and how we relate to the world around us.  Helping our children recognize the benefits of a good night’s sleep is a parental responsibility that can’t be overlooked.

Sweet dreams!

Madeline Kovarik, Ed.D., is an Assistant Professor at Rollins College in Winter Park.  Her areas of study include brain research and differentiation in learning. For more information, visit www.sleepfoundation.org.

In adolescents, nightly time spent sleeping has steadily decreased from nine hours in 1960 to less than seven hours, causing sleep deprivation to be a serious nationwide problem.

In an ideal world, adolescents live well-balanced lives: juggling daily demands with peaceful rest periods.  Rest, particularly sleep, is critical to normal brain functioning.  Lack of adequate sleep diminishes the adolescent’s ability to function at school, home and in society.

The National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 “Sleep in America Poll” reported that at least once per week:

• 28% of high school students fall asleep in school
• 22% of high school students fall asleep doing homework
• 14% of high school students either arrive to school late or miss class completely because of oversleeping

ADDITIONALLY

• 80% of the students who get adequate sleep receive grades of A’s or B’s
• 28% state they are too tired to exercise
• 56% say they get less sleep than they think they need
• 16% think they have or might have had a sleep disorder
• 54% go to bed at 11 PM or later on school nights

The lack of sleep is a nationwide problem that directly impacts the functionality in adolescents.