2008 Woodie Awards
Get To Bed, Fool
Gavi Nadel
Issue date: 12/6/04 Section: Science & Technology
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Insufficient sleep is a significant problem in today's society. Per night, adults need seven to eight hours of sleep; college students' need a little over eight hours; and teenagers need approximately nine hours. Studies indicate that adults get 6.7 hours, teens get 7.5 (on weekdays), and college students get 6.1 hours of sleep a night.
A lack of sleep in teens can lead to a plethora of problems: cognitive and concentration difficulties, emotional problems, poor school performance, disciplinary problems, and car accidents. A recent survey of more than three thousand kids has revealed a strong correlation between sleep deprivation and poor grades. Also, troubling findings reveal that adolescent sleep deprivation is often associated with attention hyperactive disorder and depression.
When we don't get the sleep we need, our body creates a sleep deficit which increases until it is fulfilled. The only way to reduce the deficit is to sleep more than your daily requirement. The brain mechanism that mediates your daily sleep amount is called the homeostat. When sleep deficit gets large, your body requires much stimulation to remain alert and conscious. If your deficit is low, however, only minimal stimulation will be needed keep you awake.
Getting less than six hours a night of sleep can affect coordination, reaction time, and judgment. Drivers are especially vulnerable to the effects of sleep deprivation, because the monotony of the road and the peaceful environment inside the car can put drivers to sleep if they have sleep deficit. Researchers have found that drivers awake for eighteen hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent, which is above the legal limit in most states. Researchers at Stanford University studied samples of undergraduates, nurses, and medical students and found that 80% were dangerously sleep deprived.
What causes sleep deprivation? You guessed it, lack of sleep! But there are other causes as well. A noisy sleep environment, excessive worry or sleep disorders can create deprivation even after a full night's rest.
A lack of sleep in teens can lead to a plethora of problems: cognitive and concentration difficulties, emotional problems, poor school performance, disciplinary problems, and car accidents. A recent survey of more than three thousand kids has revealed a strong correlation between sleep deprivation and poor grades. Also, troubling findings reveal that adolescent sleep deprivation is often associated with attention hyperactive disorder and depression.
When we don't get the sleep we need, our body creates a sleep deficit which increases until it is fulfilled. The only way to reduce the deficit is to sleep more than your daily requirement. The brain mechanism that mediates your daily sleep amount is called the homeostat. When sleep deficit gets large, your body requires much stimulation to remain alert and conscious. If your deficit is low, however, only minimal stimulation will be needed keep you awake.
Getting less than six hours a night of sleep can affect coordination, reaction time, and judgment. Drivers are especially vulnerable to the effects of sleep deprivation, because the monotony of the road and the peaceful environment inside the car can put drivers to sleep if they have sleep deficit. Researchers have found that drivers awake for eighteen hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent, which is above the legal limit in most states. Researchers at Stanford University studied samples of undergraduates, nurses, and medical students and found that 80% were dangerously sleep deprived.
What causes sleep deprivation? You guessed it, lack of sleep! But there are other causes as well. A noisy sleep environment, excessive worry or sleep disorders can create deprivation even after a full night's rest.