its done. not quite. just the rough draft. its 11:30 & im POOPED!
Why is it that most teens don’t get the suggested amount of sleep for their age?
By : Devin Malecki
Sleep. It is something we all wish we got more of. It is also a phenomenon that scientists are still researching today. Most of all sleep is vital to the human body. It provides a time period in which your body can rejuvenate itself. Without sleep it would be nearly impossible to go about your daily activities with the energy you normally have. Sleep studies have found that an appropriate amount of sleep for a teen is 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours each night. Since sleep is so important, then how come most teens don’t find themselves getting enough? Well, I have narrowed down the reasons to the following: hormones/puberty, sleep disorders, and stress.
Sleep loss. Is there a coincidence that we primarily experience it as teens? I think not! According to Elana Ben-Joseph's studies, “this phenomenon is called delayed sleep phase syndrome. Apparently it occurs because the circadian rhythm is reset due to melatonin production later at night" (Ben-Joseph,"Common Sleep Problems"). In English this means we go to bed later because a hormone produced during the teen years tells us to. So it is not our fault. In conclusion, do not ever let your parents tell you that you are at fault for not being tired. Instead tell them that you’re experiencing delayed sleep phase syndrome.
Another reason for sleep loss is because of sleep disorders. These are some sleep disorders: narcolepsy, sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic limb movement. Narcolepsy is a condition in which people float in and out of consciousness for brief amounts of time during the day. There is no known cause or cure for this disorder. Sleep apnea causes people to stop breathing temporarily in their sleep. Some causes of sleep apnea are enlarged tonsils or adenoids and obesity. You should seek a doctor for medical help. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that keeps a person up during the night. Everyone can get a little insomnia now and then. This is nothing serious, but if you experience insomnia for a month or more at a time you should contact a doctor or therapist; insomnia is often caused by depression. They will most likely provide you with the right medicine. Of course there are sleeping pills that one can take.
Some more sleep disorders are periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, reflux, nightmares, and sleepwalking. Periodic Limb Movement Disorder and Restless Leg Syndrome both involve movement of limbs that interrupts sleep. The cause for RLS is lack of iron in the body. The cause for PLMD is unknown. The only way these can be cured is by moving the legs or arms. Reflux is heartburn. The heartburn is not felt, but sleep is still being affected. Reflux is caused by stomach acid moving into the esophagus. Nonprescription drugs such as Pepto-Bismol are quick solutions for reflux. Nightmares are bad dreams. They are caused by stress/anxiety, certain medications, drugs, and alcohol. The best solution to cure nightmares is to see your doctor or therapist about treatment. Sleepwalking is self explanatory. It is not common in teenagers, but when it occurs it is usually not dangerous. Sleepwalking happens when someone is sick, not getting an appropriate amount of sleep, or feeling stressed.
Stress is a major contributor to sleep loss. Little sleep is achieved when someone is feeling any kind of uncomfortable pressure from peers, parents, and/or school. Peer pressure can keep a person up even though an acquaintance may be miles away. People that ponder over this at all hours of the night are losing sleep. Stress relating to parents. Teens have many reasons for this that I’m not even going to begin listing. School. I find this the most stressful thing ever. Some teens stress about this so much they get anxiety attacks. Ironically scientists say that the kind of stress that is directly related to keeping us awake is stressing about not sleeping. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT! The best solution is to try and relax yourself by thinking about something peaceful.
So the main reasons for sleep loss among teens are stress, sleep disorders, and because their bodies tell them to. Some ways to gain sleep are to exercise regularly, avoid stimulants, relax your mind, don’t nap too much, avoid all-nighters, create the right sleeping environment, and wake up with bright light. The best way to get back your sleep is getting on a sleep schedule. That means going to bed the same time each night, even on the weekends, and waking up the same time in the morning.
By : Devin Malecki
Sleep. It is something we all wish we got more of. It is also a phenomenon that scientists are still researching today. Most of all sleep is vital to the human body. It provides a time period in which your body can rejuvenate itself. Without sleep it would be nearly impossible to go about your daily activities with the energy you normally have. Sleep studies have found that an appropriate amount of sleep for a teen is 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours each night. Since sleep is so important, then how come most teens don’t find themselves getting enough? Well, I have narrowed down the reasons to the following: hormones/puberty, sleep disorders, and stress.
Sleep loss. Is there a coincidence that we primarily experience it as teens? I think not! According to Elana Ben-Joseph's studies, “this phenomenon is called delayed sleep phase syndrome. Apparently it occurs because the circadian rhythm is reset due to melatonin production later at night" (Ben-Joseph,"Common Sleep Problems"). In English this means we go to bed later because a hormone produced during the teen years tells us to. So it is not our fault. In conclusion, do not ever let your parents tell you that you are at fault for not being tired. Instead tell them that you’re experiencing delayed sleep phase syndrome.
Another reason for sleep loss is because of sleep disorders. These are some sleep disorders: narcolepsy, sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic limb movement. Narcolepsy is a condition in which people float in and out of consciousness for brief amounts of time during the day. There is no known cause or cure for this disorder. Sleep apnea causes people to stop breathing temporarily in their sleep. Some causes of sleep apnea are enlarged tonsils or adenoids and obesity. You should seek a doctor for medical help. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that keeps a person up during the night. Everyone can get a little insomnia now and then. This is nothing serious, but if you experience insomnia for a month or more at a time you should contact a doctor or therapist; insomnia is often caused by depression. They will most likely provide you with the right medicine. Of course there are sleeping pills that one can take.
Some more sleep disorders are periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, reflux, nightmares, and sleepwalking. Periodic Limb Movement Disorder and Restless Leg Syndrome both involve movement of limbs that interrupts sleep. The cause for RLS is lack of iron in the body. The cause for PLMD is unknown. The only way these can be cured is by moving the legs or arms. Reflux is heartburn. The heartburn is not felt, but sleep is still being affected. Reflux is caused by stomach acid moving into the esophagus. Nonprescription drugs such as Pepto-Bismol are quick solutions for reflux. Nightmares are bad dreams. They are caused by stress/anxiety, certain medications, drugs, and alcohol. The best solution to cure nightmares is to see your doctor or therapist about treatment. Sleepwalking is self explanatory. It is not common in teenagers, but when it occurs it is usually not dangerous. Sleepwalking happens when someone is sick, not getting an appropriate amount of sleep, or feeling stressed.
Stress is a major contributor to sleep loss. Little sleep is achieved when someone is feeling any kind of uncomfortable pressure from peers, parents, and/or school. Peer pressure can keep a person up even though an acquaintance may be miles away. People that ponder over this at all hours of the night are losing sleep. Stress relating to parents. Teens have many reasons for this that I’m not even going to begin listing. School. I find this the most stressful thing ever. Some teens stress about this so much they get anxiety attacks. Ironically scientists say that the kind of stress that is directly related to keeping us awake is stressing about not sleeping. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT! The best solution is to try and relax yourself by thinking about something peaceful.
So the main reasons for sleep loss among teens are stress, sleep disorders, and because their bodies tell them to. Some ways to gain sleep are to exercise regularly, avoid stimulants, relax your mind, don’t nap too much, avoid all-nighters, create the right sleeping environment, and wake up with bright light. The best way to get back your sleep is getting on a sleep schedule. That means going to bed the same time each night, even on the weekends, and waking up the same time in the morning.
posted by obesedog at 11:25 PM
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There Are Greater Evils Than Student Blogging
Will reluctantly weighs into the current media overload on stories about schools in conflict with student online journaling at "evil" sites like MySpaces and Xanga.
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