Sleep Deprivation and Teenagers

Among the different age groups in America, teenagers between the ages of 16-19 years old are at the highest risk for being involved in a motor vehicle accident. In fact, they are three times more likely to be involved in fatal car crashes than drivers over the age of 20 years old. While alcohol is often the cause of these crashes, another common factor behind these dangerous incidents is sleep deprivation. Although studies show varying opinions on just how many teenagers are sleep deprived in the United States, most studies suggest that 60-70% of American teens suffer from lack of quality sleep in their daily lives.

Sleep plays an important role in our health and well-being, yet it often goes ignored in comparison to other factors like diet and exercise. Your heart, brain, immune system, weight, and even your life span, are all effected by the amount of sleep you get on a daily basis. Lack of sleep can result in detrimental effects to all these areas of our bodies and cause us to be less alert in risky situations, such as driving. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the amount of sleep needed by everyone is influenced by age, although other aspects of life may also affect the recommended hours. In a worldwide study conducted over two years, the National Sleep Foundation states that teenagers between the ages of 14-17 years old require 8-10 hours a night while young adults between the ages of 18-25 years old require 7-9 hours. However, due to various reasons like early school start times, increasing amounts of homework, and demand for extracurricular activities, studies show that instead of the getting the 8-10 hours they need, teenagers often get less than 5 hours of sleep a night. 

Constant sleep deprivation over long periods of time can result in excessive daytime sleepiness, impaired cognitive brain functions, clumsiness, fatigue, and lack of attention. While all the side effects of sleep deprivation should be taken seriously, the two latter effects can be life-threatening to everyone when a sleep deprived teenager gets behind the wheel. Time Magazine’s article “This Is What Teens Do When They Don’t Sleep” brings attention to a report given by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that reports that teens who receive less than adequate amounts of sleep each night are more likely to exhibit behaviors likes “biking without a helmet, not wearing a seat belt, driving with a driver who had been drinking, drinking and driving, and texting and driving” compared to those who meet their sleep goals. The CDC recommends that intervention efforts need to be put in place to teach these teenagers about the importance of sleep in order to reduce injuries caused by sleep deprivation. The Time Magazine article also mentions the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation to schools to push back their start times, but only some schools seem to have taken this suggestion seriously. With increasing demands and expectations put on teenagers however, pushing start times back and teaching the importance of sleep may not be enough to prevent car accidents caused by lack of sleep.

In a study done by Mitler et al. (1997) on the sleep of long-haul truckers, the effects of sleep deprivation on driver performance was studied using electrophysiological factors like breathing rate and eye motions. The study showed that between steady night drivers and steady day drivers, the former unsurprisingly, received the shortest amount of sleep. In recent years, an attempt to prevent truck drivers and other drivers from crashing has resulted in the latest car models being included with safety features like lane departure sensors or sensors that indicate when a car is next to you. However, in a presentation given about the long-haul truckers, Dr. Gail Baura mentioned that the technology used today may not be enough to save truck drivers, and thus teenagers, from being involved in motor vehicle accidents. Instead, there is much research being done on developing electrophysiological sensors, like the ones used to assess driver performance of truck drivers, in order to prevent future accidents. The most common sensors suggested appear to be those that monitor the heartrates and respiratory rates of drivers, but another popular option is developing a sensor that detect eye movements humans exhibit when becoming drowsy. A sensor that Dr. Baura herself looked into was EMG sensors that would be placed around the eyes of drivers. However, she does not believe that eye movement on its own is enough to detect a sleepy driver due to the sensors not collecting enough signals from the eye.

While it seems that developing a reliable sensor to prevent car accidents for now will depend mostly on non-physiological technology like lane departure sensors, it is important that we continue to thoroughly test all options. Physiological sensors have proven that one method on its own is not sufficient enough, but by combing many of these solutions together, we could decrease the number of motor vehicle accidents caused by drowsy drivers and consequently save thousands of lives each year.

Work Cited

Image from: https://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

Mitler, M. M., Miller, J. C., Lipsitz, J. J., Walsh, J. K., & Wylie, C. D. (1997). The sleep of long-haul truck drivers. The New England Journal of Medicine, 337(11), 755–761.

Sifferlin, A. (2016, April). This Is What Teens Do When They Don't Sleep. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://time.com/4285012/teens-sleep-deprived/

Stevenson A. (2017). How Important Is Sleep? American Sleep Association. Retrieved from https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep/how-important-is-sleep/

Teen Drivers: Get the Facts. (2017, October). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

Teens and Sleep. (2017). Retrieved from https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep