The American Academy of Pediatrics says that about 87% of American teenagers are not getting the recommended amount of sleep and the condition is sparking concern because, according to these experts, it is crucial that teens get enough sleep during this time in their lives.
Sleep deprivation can cause teenagers to develop conditions such as obesity or depression. There is also the real danger of driving around when they are not fully alert and drowsy, which may lead to accidents. A local pediatrician in Amarillo, Dr. Mariada George says that, "They [researchers] discovered that after puberty our natural clock changes and so we are more likely to be up later and wake up later. A lot of my teens don't get enough sleep, but then they tell me that they have this practice and that practice, and that they have this much homework."
Adults are concerned about how societies expectations have changed over the past years. When before teenagers would get into school and perform their extracurricular activities during or after school hours, the teenagers of today how to make time outside of school for these activities. The majority of an average teenager's day is spent in classes, leaving not much time for other things. Schoolwork also takes up most of afterschool hours, leaving teens to sacrifice sleep time to be able to do something else. According to the research, teams tried to stay awake longer so that they could get involved in extracurricular activities. Another factor that plays a big part in sleep distraction is all the electronics that teenagers today are using that could keep them preoccupied four hours. Many experts believe is that it is best for parents to keep electronic gadgets out of their teenagers' rooms when it comes to bedtime.
Experts also suggest that after the summer months, when the time for going back to school starts to approach, teenagers must start working on going to sleep earlier to be able to adjust their natural clocks. It is also recommended that teens get at least 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep.
