Did you know that one in five 12–17-year-olds average over 8 hours of screen time a day? That means that in a 14-hour day, 57% of their waking hours involve looking at a screen!

This madness is contributing to a very significant problem all teenagers face - sleep deprivation.

It is killing us. We are becoming walking zombies rather than happy, growing lads. However, we can end this treacherous technological tyranny by putting down our screens before bed.

Stop and think for a second. How much sleep did you get last night? If you got less than 8 hours of sleep my friend, you are a sleep-deprived teenager.

The major cause of sleep deprivation is something we all know and love – mobile phones.

Blue light emitted from devices inhibits the production of melatonin in the body, the hormone responsible for the feeling of drowsiness. This lack of tiredness and resultant loss of sleep time, exacerbates your already fragile teenage emotions, which I know you are all very familiar with. If you don’t believe me, look at the stats.

A study conducted by Growing up in Australia found that 35% of 12-18 years- olds are not getting a minimum 8 hours of sleep on any given night (Australian teens not getting enough sleep, n.d.) Furthermore, the same study discovered that 28% of this 35% were teens who had their phones with them in their bedroom.

I know that you all find it relaxing to be sitting on your phone, scrolling through social media or snapping your girlfriends at night. But at the end of the day, what would you prefer, feeling relaxed for 30 minutes and waking up the next day in a horrid mood? Or using this time to be getting some shuteye and feel refreshed and happy the next day?

It is a serious problem which we are refusing to acknowledge. Little rectangles of blue light are ruining our sleep which is ruining our mood which is ruining our lives.

Unlocking Sweet Dreams

Although things look grim, there is a rose amongst the thorns. The solution is simple: limit the use of screens around bedtime.

Devices suffocate the body’s ability to produce sleep-inducing melatonin.

A study by National Library of Medicine in 2021 found that teenagers who put down their devices 1 hour before bedtime achieved an extra 21 minutes of sleep compared to those who didn’t (National Library of Medicine, 2021). Across the full school week this adds up to 1hr 45 minutes of additional sleep which is money lying on the ground.

It’s that simple.

Although screens are an undeniably bright light in our lives, they are also sleep depriving demons. The experts have spoken – put your phone away before bed!

What needs to be done?

Sleep deprivation in teenagers could be non-existent if we all make an effort to ditch our devices before bed. Most of us are going to school in a feral mood with less than 8 hours of sleep under our belts. Don’t try to deny it. Lack of sleep is killing us. The question is, are you going to continue living life like a zombie or are you going to put your phone down an hour before bed and resolve the catastrophe on our hands – teenage sleep deprivation?

- By Hugh Mansfield, Year 9 TGS student

List of References

• Australian teens not getting enough sleep. Australian Government (2019). Retrieved June 01, 2023 from https://aifs.gov.au/media/australian-teens-not-getting-enough-sleep
• Department of Health, & Services, H. (2021). Teenagers and sleep. Retrieved June 01, 2023 from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep#causes-of-teenage-sleep-deprivation
• Among teens, sleep deprivation an epidemic. Stanford Medicine (2014). Retrieved June 01, 2023 from https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2015/10/among-teens-sleep-deprivation-an-epidemic.html