If someone has a day that is full of lack of concentration, bad moods, and lower productivity, it could be due to a lack of sleep. Sleep is something that everybody needs, but many people rarely get enough of it. Many people even think that if they take away some hours of sleep, and if they work during this time, they may be more productive. This is a common misconception, especially amongst teens. If teens do not receive eight to ten hours of sleep each night, the lack of sleep can have many harmful effects on their bodies including: increased risk of serious health problems, higher levels of stress and other mental issues, and lower productivity throughout the day. 

To begin, teens who suffer from sleep deprivation have an increased risk of serious health problems. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and even heart disease (Sleep: Healthy People 2030). They are also more likely to have stroke, dementia, and cancer. All of these different health problems are extremely serious and harmful. Some of the health problems listed above can even be fatal. Even if they aren’t fatal, they can lead to a life that is full of doctor visits and medical bills.

Next, physical health problems aren’t the only ones that sleep deprivation can cause. A lack of sleep can also lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental problems. Studies have shown that teenagers who don’t get enough sleep are usually in a bad mood. This means that they are more angry, frustrated, agitated, and irritable. All of these things make it more difficult for teens to do what they love to do. Also these mental issues and lack of sleep can cause teens to be less social. It can make it more difficult for teens to get along with other people that they usually would have gotten along with. This decline in relationships can even heighten the anxiety, stress, and depression that they were originally feeling. This makes them feel alone, and these thoughts plague them at night. This reduces their sleep even more, and the cycle begins again. 

Finally, sleep deprivation causes different problems in everyone, and while some might not suffer severe health problems, they suffer from decreased productivity throughout their day. A lack of sleep makes people feel tired, and this doesn’t let them focus on the thing that they are working on. Some people think that if they do work in place of their sleep, they will be able to complete more tasks and be more efficient. However, this is not true. Staying up to do work makes people lose the sleep that was necessary for them to be able to complete day-to-day tasks. It is even likely that even though someone stays up to do work, they aren’t able to focus on the work enough to complete it. In this case, the person lost valuable sleep for nothing. 

To conclude, it is crucial for teenagers to get enough sleep every night. If they don’t get this sleep, there are many consequences that they have to endure. One consequence is a higher risk of different health problems. These problems include diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. These diseases can damage quality of life, and they can even be fatal. Another consequence of a lack of sleep in teens is mental problems. Stress, anxiety, and depression are only a few of these issues. These mental problems can damage social life and relationships. The final consequence of sleep deprivation is decreased performance and productivity. Teens who don’t get enough sleep aren’t able to do well in school. They aren’t even able to focus on things that they love to do. All of these consequences are extremely serious, and they can make it so that a person’s life is not as good as it could have been. This is why it is important for teens to get at least eight hours of sleep every night.