Sleep is one of the most important things a person does each day. It allows the body to rest and to replenish itself so that it is better able to serve its function of living. Yet, many people who don't have enough hours in the day to do everything have to cut out sleep before any other activity. This is especially true for teenagers, who are frantically trying to grasp onto the edge of their childhood, while at the same time reaching for adulthood. Many things that lead to teenage sleep loss; the effects of this loss are devastating. .
School is one of the most important aspects of a young person's life, whether or not the teenager is willing to admit it. The teenager spends most of his time either in school or doing homework to further his education. The pressures of school are enormous. Stress is brought on with every project, experiment, and essay assigned to the student. He is forced to muddle through loads of work, continuously trying to catch up to where they must be, all in order to receive good grades. On many occasions, these students will be up late studying, typing, reading, basically doing everything but sleeping. Sleep is put off so that more schoolwork can be fit into the day. .
Along with the educational system's pressure for good grades comes the pressure to participate in extra curricular activities such as plays, band, student government, clubs, and sports. Not only do teens have to keep up their grades, but they must also balance a calendar of school events. This can be difficult for many with heavy academic schedules. They will spend the afternoon in school, and then come home to eat dinner and begin their homework. Many will be up until three in the morning diligently typing into their computers, only to go to sleep exhausted, and wake up three to four hours later to begin the day again. Compounding this already minuscule amount of sleep, many adolescents also feel the basic need for money and a steady income during their teen years because of pressure from parents and a sudden lack of allowance.
