Lack of sleep is definitely a problem most of us can relate to. According to a National Sleep Foundation poll, 65 percent of Americans are not getting enough sleep. This alarming statistic proves very true among high school students.

“I’ve fallen asleep in class a few times,” stated freshman Katelynn Couto. “I don’t really get enough sleep.”

Losing sleep significantly affects one’s health, performance, and safety. The 65 percent of Americans that are not getting enough sleep most likely have sleep deprivation. Some consequences of sleep deprivation are decreased alertness and performance, stress, and increased risk for dangerous accidents. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths occur annually because of drowsy drivers.

“I can’t pay attention in class because I always want to sleep,” said freshman Mikayla Anielski. “I would rather school start later and end later, so we can get more rest and get our homework done.”

Other consequences of sleep deprivation are moodiness, inability to cope with stress, frequent colds and infections, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health problems. Losing sleep weakens your concentration, reasoning, problem solving, and leads to weight gain.

“I get about eight or nine hours of sleep usually, but it depends on how much homework I have,” said freshman Madison LaRue. “On Mondays I usually don’t feel rested when I wake up, but the rest of the week I do.”

Sleep is the body’s way of recovering from the day’s activities, and without enough resting time, your muscles can become sore the following day. Sleep is very important, especially for teenagers. It is recommended that we get nine hours and fifteen minutes each night.

“I never feel rested when I wake up,” Anielski added, “I don’t sleep enough.”

Over time, some people develop sleep disorders from long-term sleep deprivation. Some sleep disorders include sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy. Sleep apnea is a disruption in a person’s sleep because they begin to breathe shallowly or experience long pauses. This condition causes loud snoring and daytime fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep. Restless leg syndrome is a disease that causes constant leg movement during the day and insomnia at night. Narcolepsy is an excessive urge to sleep at inappropriate times.

If you fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed, you are sleep deprived. Teenagers who are not getting enough rest can make changes to improve sleeping patterns, even if it means going to bed an hour earlier than usual. We should avoid large amounts of caffeine, nicotine, and heavy meals. Exercising regularly can help improve the quality of sleep, but not exercising soon before bedtime. It also helps to keep a regular sleep routine, even on the weekends.

Small changes like these can help everyone get better quality sleep, and a lot more of it.