Translator: DAHOU Mohamed Auditor: Yassmeen Elgendy It was six in the morning, And the darkness is full on the outside. My 14-year-old son was asleep, In a comfortable and deep sleep for a child of his age. Lighted the room and moved the poor child to wake him up, Because I know it’s like removing a tooth, It is better to quickly finish up.
I have a girlfriend screaming “Fire!” To wake her sleeping children. And another rash with enough. She poured cold water on her son in bed Just to pull it out of bed. It may sound harsh … But maybe familiar? I wonder every morning, “how I can — Find out what I know today And do what I do to live – Do I do that to my son? You can imagine the picture, I am a sleep researcher. (Laughter) I know a lot about sleep And the consequences of lack of sleep. I know that I deprive my son of the sleep he desperately needs Due to its rapid growth.
I also know that he woke him up. Hours before the bell rings his biological clock declaring that it is time to wake up, I take it off from his dreams – This sleep phase is associated with learning and memory strengthening The emotional process. But my child is not alone in sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation has become a pandemic among American teenagers. Only 1 in 10 gets 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night Recommended by sleep scientists and pediatricians. Now, if you were wondering, Huh, we’re doing a good job, “My baby sleeps for 8 hours,” Remember, 8 hours is the minimum recommended.
You are standing on the cliff. Sleeping for 8 hours is like getting an average score for your result. There are many factors that help spread this epidemic. But the main factor in depriving adolescents from getting enough sleep Actually related to public policy.
Not a hormonal problem, social life, or Snapchat. Many schools Across the country it starts around 7:30 AM or earlier, Despite the fact that the largest health organizations recommend That middle and high schools do not start before 08:30 am. These early-day policies directly affect – Or how much American teenagers suffer from lack of sleep. It puts teens and their parents In a losing battle from the start against their bodies.
During the onset of adulthood, Teens experience a lag in their biological watch, Which determines when we feel that we are at the top of activity or inactivity. This is partly due to a change in the release of the hormone melatonin. The bodies of teenagers wait until about 11 at night to release melatonin, That is, two hours after the observed time in adults and children This means that waking a teenager 6 am is biologically equivalent Wake up an adult 4 am.
On bad days when I have to wake up 4 am, I am like the living dead. Useless. I cannot think properly And in a nervous mood And I probably shouldn’t drive. But this is how many American teenagers feel every school day.
In fact, many, if we may say so, The troublesome natures we attribute to the teenager’s being – Mood swings, emotion, laziness, depression – It may be the result of chronic sleep deprivation. For many adolescents facing chronic sleep deficiency, Their strategy requires consuming large amounts of caffeine In the form of Venti Frapuccino Or energy drinks or concentrated.
Conclusion, We have a full population of young people tired but connected. Advocates know good sleep for the start time Adolescence is a very important period of development for the brain, Especially the parts of the brain Responsible for complex thinking processes.
Including reflection, problem solving and good evaluation. On the other hand, responsible brain activity From controlling those impulsive and risky behavior Characteristic of adolescence And frightening to us as parents. And they know, as we know, That when teens don’t get enough sleep, Their minds, bodies, and behaviors suffer Of immediate and delayed effects.
They cannot focus Their attention level drops Indeed, many of them exhibit behavioral signs similar to ADHD. But the results of a teenager’s lack of sleep exceed the limits of separation
Unfortunately, it contributes to creating many psychological problems That increases greatly during adolescence, Including the use of prohibited substances Depression and suicide. During our work with teenagers from the Los Angeles Unified School, We noticed that adolescents have sleep problems It was 55% more likely that they consumed alcohol last month.
In another study with 30,000 high school students, They discovered that for every hour they woke up without sleep, There is a 38% increase in feelings of sadness and helplessness. And by 58% of suicide attempts among adolescents.
And if that wasn’t enough, Adolescents who do not sleep enough are more exposed To health risks that pervade our country, Including obesity, heart disease and diabetes. There is also a risk of giving a teenager who suffers from a lack of sleep New driver’s license, And put it behind the wheel. Studies have shown that sleep is five hours or less every night Like driving with an alcohol level in the blood above the legal limit.
Advocates offered a good night’s sleep And researchers in this field Huge scientific data The great benefits of delaying onset time appear. The results are very clear, And as a sleep sign, I rarely spoke of this type of certainty.
Teenagers in areas where late work begins is getting more hours of sleep. And for skeptics who may think that delaying starting school will be delayed It just means staying up late for teens, The truth is, Their sleep times do not change, But their waking times get longer, Which means more sleep. They are more ready to go to school; School absenteeism decreased by 25% in one district. And less likely to drop out of school.
This is not surprising, as they have improved their academic achievement. So sleep has real effects on reducing the difference in academic achievement. The math and reading standardized scores are higher By two to three. This is equivalent to reducing the number of class students by one third Or compensation for an average professor for a semester Excellent post. As their psychological and physical health improves, Even their families are happier.
I mean, who wouldn’t delight us with a little more delightful teens Less moody? Even their societies become safer Because car accident rates drop – By 70% in one area. Given these great benefits, You may ask, It does not need thinking, is it?
So why did we as a society fail to take this into account? Because the call to start hours is usually faced with arguments like this: Why do we have to delay adolescents ’start times? We have to make it tougher to prepare them for the real world! ” But this is like saying to the parents of a child in his second year, “Don’t let Johnny have his nap Or he will not be ready to enter the kindergarten. ” (Laughter) The start time delay poses many logistical challenges.
Not only for teenagers and their families, Even entire societies. Update bus routes Increase in transportation costs And influence sports Care before or after school. These are the same concerns that float on the surface from one area to another, And every time across the country Whenever school start time is discussed. They are legitimate concerns, But they are problems that we have to work to solve.
They are not valid excuses For not choosing what interests our children, That is, the middle and high schools should not start before 8:30 in the morning. And in various regions across the country, Big or small, that apply this adjustment, They found that those fears were mostly unfounded It does not mention a comparison of its great benefits to the student’s health And its return in the class As well as our collective public security.
Therefore, tomorrow morning, When we will be forced to return the hands an hour back Then you get that delicious extra hour of sleep, It looks a little longer to you today, A little optimistic, Consider the great effect of sleep. And think about how wonderful it would be for our children If they were able to wake up naturally, In tune with their biological composition. Thank you very much, and sweet dreams.
