Oftentimes when people think of the consequences of poor sleep they think crabbiness and irritability. While those are two outcomes of poor sleep, there are many more serious consequences that can occur.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 41,000 Americans are injured or killed in car crashes caused by drowsy drivers. The amount is second to alcohol-related accidents. As stated in the same report, roughly 62 percent of Americans report having trouble falling asleep more than a few nights per week.
University of Minnesota neurologist and sleep expert, Michael Howell, M.D., spoke with Esme Murphy last week on WCCO Radio and WCCO-TV to address the dangers of poor sleep as well as the effects of daylight saving time on sleep schedules.
“Daylight savings brings to the forefront that our culture is a group of poor sleepers. Normally, an hour shift in sleep should not make that much difference. However, for some people it makes for a very hard week as that stolen hour is combined with pre-established poor sleep habits,” said Howell.
Howell says overall, teenagers suffer the most from poor sleep habits.
“Teenagers require 9 hours of sleep which is more than adults require. However, teens typically get less sleep than adults. Teenagers are natural night owls – they like to go to bed later and wake later. This is the same for other mammals going through puberty,” said Howell. “Adolescents from 10-17 have a particular sensitivity to light that sends a signal to the brain that the sun is still up. I see a lot of great kids that can’t fall asleep at 10 or 11 p.m. because their brain still thinks it is 6 or 7 p.m.”
The side effects of poor sleep on teenagers can be serious. Howell says poor academic performance can result. Furthermore, kids that are sleep deprived have a higher tendency to be involved in motor vehicle accidents and a higher tendency for suicide.
There are ways to overcome this shift in circadian rhythms. Howell suggests trying to reset your internal clock.
“Try to minimize screen time an hour or so before bedtime. Force yourself to see sunlight right when you wake up in the morning. If there isn’t a natural sunrise, buy a lightbox. These are designed for seasonal affective disorder. Just 30 minutes of exposure in the morning can help re-start someone’s internal clock,” said Howell.
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