Sleep Deprivation and the Teen Mental Health Crisis. NewsWire

NewsWire: 6/1/22

• Is sleep deprivation contributing to the teen mental health crisis? According to new research, a large share of high-schoolers are sleeping far less than the recommended amount, and those who sleep the least are most likely to be at risk of poor mental health. (The Washington Post)
• NH: Coverage of the teen mental health crisis (see “New Public Health Advisory on Teen Mental Health”) tends to cite the same explanations repeatedly. Too much time on social media. Lack of socialization and loneliness during the pandemic. Too much pressure from school and parents.
• According to Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright, the authors of the new book Generation Sleepless, these explanations overlook perhaps the most important factor of all: lack of sleep. In part because of the huge amounts of time today's teens are spending on school activities and online, they are chronically sleep-deprived. A 2015 CDC study found that 58% of middle-schoolers and 73% of high-schoolers do not get the recommended amount of sleep for their age group. One in five sleep five or fewer hours a night. In comparison, only about 35% of adults don't get enough sleep.
• It’s no secret that sleep plays an important role in mental health--and that not getting enough can increase the likelihood of developing conditions like anxiety and depression at any age. One study found that teens sleeping six or seven hours a night were 17% more likely to think about hurting themselves than those sleeping eight. Those sleeping five hours a night were 81% more likely to consider self-harm. Fewer hours of sleep a night has also been associated with a wide range of other risky behaviors, including unsafe sexual activity and alcohol and drug use.
• This is a generational phenomenon specific to late-wave Millennial and Homelander teens. School start times have moved to ever-earlier hours. Teens’ schedules are packed with after-school activities and tutoring. Nightly homework loads typically range from an hour to three hours. Teens are glued to their phones and feel the need to stay constantly connected to their friends. Add in using their phones at bedtime, and you have the perfect recipe for sleep deprivation.
• Several states, including New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee, are currently considering pushing back school start times in order to help students. They’re looking to follow California, which in 2019 became the first state to require high schools to start no earlier than 8:30am. The law will go into effect this fall--and the results, no doubt, will be closely watched by parents and educators looking for anything that can help their kids feel better.
• But changing school start times feels very minor compared to the scope of the problem we're facing. Real change will only occur once the adults in charge realize that kids are past the point of positive returns. They might be busier than ever, but if they're not sleeping enough, they're not learning anything.