Myisha Nawar
Adolescents are notorious for not getting enough sleep. A recent study has shown that sleep deprivation affects many aspects of a teenager’s functioning and makes them more prone to doing risky activities. 50,000 U.S. High School students were surveyed on their engagement in five behaviors that increase the risk of injuries: texting while driving, rarely wearing a seat belt, rarely wearing a bicycle helmet, riding in a car with a driver who had been drinking, or drinking and driving. Results showed that sleep deprived teens were more likely to undertake these activities.
Lack of sleep can take a devastating toll on the physical and mental health of teens. Health care providers are considering screening teens for behaviors that increase the risk of injuries, and counseling them. The new study, however, cannot prove that insufficient sleep causes risky behavior in teens; it’s possible that other factors are responsible for the link.