From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

You don't snooze, you lose

By Ana Segura
Pembroke Pines Charter

January 10 2008

Sleep is a pleasant luxury for preschoolers and kindergartners who enjoy days with no worries.

Preschool alumni (aka high school students) now miss those carefree days filled with nap times, snack times and bedtimes.

High school students are known to get up early and fall into bed in the early morning hours of the next day. The biological clock inside them says the body is not tired at 10 or 11 p.m. but then pleads for five more minutes at 6 a.m. the next day.

Sleep deficit is not only a health issue but an academic one, too. On a daily basis, teens are found dozing in classrooms during lectures and day-dreaming during tests and quizzes.

"I'm sometimes late to school because I just shut off my alarm clock just so I can have five more minutes of sleep," Cypress Bay High senior Kayla Cuadros said.

That sleep is especially important for teens because they are still growing, said Jose Goldar, an anesthesiologist at Memorial Regional Hospital.

"Getting enough sleep ... assures a healthier body physically as it allows the body to slow down and revitalize from the day's activities, like a cell phone that needs to be charged," he said.

But the National Sleep Foundation's 2006 Sleep in America poll finds that only 20 percent of adolescents get the recommended nine hours of sleep on school nights. Almost half (45 percent) get fewer than eight hours.

Sleep deficit in teens can turn into a major issue on the road. Sleep deprivation can slow driver-reaction times and can be threatening to both teens and other drivers.

"The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration estimates that 1,500 people are killed every year in crashes caused by drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 who are simply tired," states a report on www.kidshelp.org.

Simple measures can be taken to try to get more sleep, according to the report.

Teens should rule out distractions late at night, such as television, computers, music, etc., and should try to relax their minds near bedtime.

They should get schoolwork done earlier, avoid napping and caffeine after 4 p.m., get regular exercise and keep a consistent bedtime.

Despite their full schedules, teenagers carry the responsibility of balancing healthy sleep with eventful days.