Poor sleep, poor grades Ever !orning during s"#ool das, teenagers lur"# out of $ed and prepare for t#e da. Nearl everone wa%es up at &'00 a.!., onl 6 #ours after t#e went to $ed. (ost students #ave to ta%e a ride $efore 6 a.!. to get in "lass on )'00. *ut#+s routine is al!ost t#e sa!e $efore s#e got #er first failing grade on one of #er su$,e"ts in "ollege. -nl t#at, four #ours were t#e onl ti!e for sleep as s#e prepared for t#e e.a!s, do paperwor%s, and plan for presentations. /er fres#!an das at 0niversit of t#e P#ilippines 1os 2a3os 40P125 "ontrolled #er fro! forgoing #er ti!e to sleep. 67t $e"a!e #ard for !e to "on"entrate. 8#e !ind reall doesn+t wor% well w#en t#ere is la"% of sleep,9 *ut# said. 7nsuffi"ient sleep is s#own to "ause diffi"ulties in s"#ool, sleepiness in "lass and poor "on"entration :""ording to (ar% -liver 1lang"o, instru"tor of So"ial S"ien"e su$,e"ts in 0P12, t#ere are ; <s in a "ollege students+ life' good so"ial life, good sleep, and good =!ore= Poor sleep, poor grades 2 grades. 68#ere+s alwas one t#at ou forgo, a trade=off. 8#e average student sa"rifi"es sleep in e."#ange for studing, wor%ing and !aintaining a so"ial life.9 What Studies Say 8#e i!portan"e of sleep to a"ade!i" perfor!an"e is one of t#e !ost ro$ust findings in sleep resear"# in re"ent ears. -ne stud, fro! t#e 0niversit of Pitts$urg# in t#e 0nited States, found t#at #ig# s"#ool students w#o get good grades sleep !ore effi"ientl. Students wit# poor sleeping #a$its > t#ose w#o wo%e up fre?uentl during t#e nig#t, spent !ore #ours in $ed 4w#et#er or not t#e were sleeping5 and reported feeling tired in t#e !orning > re"eived lower grades t#an students w#o stu"% wit# a !ore regular sleep routine. 7nterestingl, t#e stud also found t#at different sleep #a$its #ad different effe"ts on t#e student@s s"#ool perfor!an"e' t#ose w#o wo%e up !ore often during t#e nig#t and reported poorer sleep ?ualit did worse in (at#, for e.a!ple, w#ile t#ose w#o slu!$ered pea"efull t#roug# t#e nig#t tended to get $etter grades in Englis#. -verall, teens in t#e stud w#o #ad regular and predi"ta$le sleep s"#edules "oped $etter wit# s#ort=ter! sleep defi"its t#an t#ose wit# a !ore varing and "#aoti" sleep s"#edule. 8#at+s pre"isel w#at resear"#ers fro! /endri. Aollege 4also in t#e 0nited States5 found out. 8#e stud "on"luded t#at poor sleep patterns were lin%ed to poorer a"ade!i" perfor!an"e and a de"line in grade=point average 4<P:5 during t#e transition fro! #ig# s"#ool to "ollege. Students w#o were 6evening tpes9 #ad an average <P: of 2.BC in t#e first ear of "ollege, w#ereas 6!orning or inter!ediate tpes9 #ad an average <P: of ;.1B. =!ore= Poor sleep, poor grades 3 2ot# groups of resear"#ers are ?ui"% to point out t#at part ti!e ,o$s, $us s"#edules, so"ial life, s"#ool de!ands and over sti!ulation fro! late nig#t a"tivit su"# as 8D, video ga!es and t#e 7nternet fuel sleep deprivation a!ong t#ese teens. The Expendable Thing 6Sleep is t#e !ost e.penda$le t#ing for students in t#e teenage ears,E said (s. :r!i <ra"e 2i"o!ong, a Professor of S"#ool Ps"#olog at t#e De 1a Salle 0niversit = Das!ari3as. 6(ost people feel it@s a $adge of #onor. F7 didn@t sleep.+ Parent#eses, F:ren@t 7 greatG+ 0ntil ou point out to t#e! t#at $eing sleep deprived is detri!ental to t#eir rea"tion ti!e and !e!or.9 2i"o!ong said, w#en students s%ip out on sleep, t#e $elieve t#e are 6a""o!plis#ing !ore and i!proving t#eir produ"tivit, t#oug# t#e opposite is usuall true.9 67 see it at ever e.a! H students slin% into "lass in t#e sa!e "lot#es t#e were wearing t#e previous da and tell everone w#o loo%s in t#eir dire"tion t#at t#e pulled an overnig#t,9 s#e added
S#e also said t#at sleep deprivation is si!ilar to a FIo!$ie+ w#o s#e des"ri$ed as 6$eing tired all da long, i!paired and dangerous.9 2i"o!ong t#en, in a positive lig#t, advised t#at teens lessen t#eir sleep de$t, get eig#t or !ore #ours of sleep ever nig#t so t#at t#e "an $e 6full of energ, wide awa%e, perfor!ing at our pea%, and feeling opti!isti" and "#eerful all da long.9 *ut# said s#e definitel lived t#e 6Io!$ie9 lifestle. 6Parents need to support teenagers sleep #a$its. Sleep is not a waste of ti!e. 1a"% =!ore= Poor sleep, poor grades 4 of it "an "ause severe depression, an.iet and stress. 7f a teen is sleeping long #ours it@s $e"ause #is $od de!ands it, not $e"ause #e is laI. -nl t#e rig#t a!ount and ?ualit of sleep will #elp teens get t#roug# t#e da wit#out feeling over fatigued,9 2i"o!ong said. Beyond academics 2ut sleep deprivation "an affe"t !ore t#an a"ade!i" su""ess. Dr. (i"#ael Sarte, president of t#e Sleep So"iet of t#e P#ilippines, said sleep deprivation in oung adults "an adversel affe"t #ealt# for ears to "o!e. 6Sleep deprivation provo%es t#e $od to $e"o!e less sensitive to insulin,9 Sarte said. 68#is in turn "an "ause weig#t gain, #ig# $lood pressure and dia$etes. : la"% of sleep also stresses t#e $od, w#i"# "an result in #eart atta"%s and stro%es later in life. 8#ere are also #ig#er levels of an.iet and depression a!ong t#e sleep deprived.9 Sarte t#en suggested t#at teenagers need to get t#e rig#t a!ount of sleep. E.perts li%e #i! tend to agree t#at $etween si. and nine #ours is ade?uate for t#e average person 6Se"ond, on"e ou JteenagersK %now t#e rig#t a!ount of sleep for ou, !a%e and sti"% to a s"#edule. Sleeping at t#e sa!e ti!e ea"# nig#t is $enefi"ial. L#ile loss of sleep a""u!ulates over ti!e to "ontri$ute to tiredness and drowsiness, sleeping does not a""u!ulate. 0nli%e !one, ou "an+t save up sleep and $orrow fro! it later. Mou need to sleep enoug# and "onsistentlN "at"#up sleep doesn+t wor%,9 Sarte suggested. *ut# "an attest to t#at. Nearl two a"ade!i" ears later, *ut# #as finall learned #ow "onne"ted #er grades are to #er sleep #a$its. =!ore= Poor sleep, poor grades 6 6:fter aw#ile 7 ,ust $ro%e down,9 *i"#ins said. 67 "ouldn+t do it an!ore. 7 "ouldn+t attend all ! "lasses, and 7+d dread writing papers $e"ause it !eant t#at 7+d lose sleep over it. 7 #ad to sa"rifi"e ! ti!e so!ew#ere, $ut it wasn+t going to $e ! sleep an!ore.9 end =end=