Sleep research suggests that the average teenager needs between eight to ten hours of sleep overnight, but most teens only get about six to seven hours of sleep per night.

Screens play a significant role in reducing teen sleep. Beyond staying up late looking at them, screens let off blue light at night. Blue light is beneficial during the day because it boosts our attention span, reaction times, and moods, but it has a negative effect at night because it tricks our brains into thinking it is daytime.

Playing videogames at night increases the amount of blue light that we see causing our bodies to stay awake. Studies show that 72 percent
of teenagers play video games. A new study form the Pew Research Center shows that 59 percent of girls and 84 percent of boys, ages 13-17 play
video games. 67 percent of these children are suffering with insomnia. On average only 19 percent of gamers reported getting more than seven hours of sleep. Over half of the respondents average around five to six hours of sleep per night.

Here are a couple of ways to protect you from blue light at night: use dim red lights for night lights, avoid looking at bright screens two to three hours before bed, consider wearing blue light glasses at night if you cannot avoid the screens, and try to expose yourself to lots of bright light during the day to boost your ability to sleep at night.

Our body clocks naturally shift to make them feel tired later in the evening. That is known as our Circadian Rhythm. According to the Sleep Foundation the circadian biological clock is controlled by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN), a group of cells in the hypothalamus
that responds to light and dark signals. When the eyes perceive light, the retinas send a signal to our SCN, then the SCN sets off a chain reaction of hormone production and suppression that affects the bodies temperature, appetite, and sleep drive.

Each morning, as the sun comes up, our body temperature begins to rise, and cortisol is then released. This is what causes us to wake up in the morning. Most days , though, the sun isn’t up yet when kids go to school. That is why they are so tired at the start of school. With sundown, our bodies think it is still nighttime and does not release as much cortisol causing us to feel more asleep.

This leads to chronic sleep deprivation among teens, and it can have a dramatic effect on life. This includes affecting mental well-being and reducing academic performance at school.

Teens who do not get enough sleep might have trouble focusing in class. Long term lack of sleep in teens has also been linked to health problems. This includes an increased risk of being overweight, developing diabetes or heart disease, and an increased risk of getting infections. According to UC San Diego Health, teens who are sleep deprived also have a higher chance of falling asleep in class or other inappropriate places. Another added risk is teens who drive. Sleep deprived teens who drive have an increased risk of a serious accident.

Sleep deprivation also affects mental health. It was proven in a study, using close to 5000 teens, that depression and anxiety were closely
linked with their sleep habits. Students with depression symptoms averaged around three and a half hours of sleep per night.

Senior Izzy Bernola stated, “On average, I tend to get about four hours of sleep per night due to stress.”

There is still more information that is needed for to understand the mechanism underlying the conditions between sleep and mental health. It is clear that sleep is especially important to many brain and bodily functions that help process daily events and regulate emotions and behavior. Sleep helps maintain cognitive skills, such as attention, learning, and memory.

Poor sleep can make it much more difficult to cope with minor stressors and can even impact the ability to perceive the world. Here are some ways you can get more sleep: set a sleep schedule, go to bed early, avoid caffeine after 2 pm, eliminate blue light sources, regulate bedroom temperature, and try not to stress before bed.