They need 9 hours of sleep each night, but today’s teens, always connected and technologically up to date, are only getting between six and a half to seven and a half hours of sleep a night. In short, teens today are not getting enough sleep, according to study published in the journal Pediatrics.
It is technological distractions such as gaming, computer use, TV and cell phones that are cutting into teens’ rest time so that they are sleeping hours less than the 9 hours recommended by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
According to the findings of the survey conducted, it was seen that after 9 PM at night:
- 82% of high school students were watching TV
- 55% were using a computer online
- 44% were talking with someone on the phone
- 34% were sending and receiving text messages of their mobile phones
The study found that only 21% of students were getting the requisite 8 to 10 hours of sleep each day.
It is the technological nature of the distractions that teens have today that is responsible for them facing higher levels of sleepiness during the day and text messages that arrive in the middle of the night to disturb the child’s sleep for instance.
Lack of sleep among teens can lead to poor academic performance, obesity, exhaustion and even depression, it has been found.
