Sleeping Patterns Among Teens

Being a college student, I know the struggle associated with not getting enough sleep. Staying up all night to complete an assignment is something I practice regularly. However, the next morning I usually wake up with a sore body, feeling as though I had been hit by a tractor trailer. When waking up this way, it makes it ten times more difficult to get out of bed and prepare myself for classes, and ultimately screws up my biological clock. Thankfully yet regretfully, I am not the only one who goes through this similar process. Research has found that among teens, lack of sleep brings about more cases of acute illnesses, as well as the increase of school absences. A study conducted over a six day period measuring both males and females' sleeping patterns reported a trend between lack of sleep and illnesses such as colds, the flu, and gastroenteritis. The study also showed that irregular sleeping patterns, as well as a need to schedule work and social time at later hours in the day, causes subtle differences in the outcomes of the illnesses. If you would like to read more on the subject, please feel free to click here, leading you to the corresponding article.