Teenagers suffer from permanent sleep deprivation

Lack of sleep endangers the health of young people

12/10/2012

Students and apprentices sleep far too little. Young people in Germany „suffer from permanent sleep deprivation, which adversely affects their health, well-being and performance, according to a recent study by sleep and health researchers.

In their investigation, the scientists around Professor Ulrich Koehler from the Department of Pulmonology at Philipps-Universität Marburg and Dr. med. Manfred Betz from the Dillenburg Institute for Health Promotion and Research pointed out that on average, adolescents sleep less than the recommended seven hours a day during the week. The result is a permanent lack of sleep, the young people try in vain to compensate for long sleep at the weekend. For the organism, the persistent sleep deficit has far-reaching negative consequences, ranging from mental health problems to physical impairments such as headaches or gastrointestinal complaints.

Adolescents sleep significantly less during the week
The scientists had around in the German Trainee Health Study (DAGS) „8,850 apprentices and students from Dillenburg, Wetzlar, Korbach, Marburg, Giessen, Fulda, Frankfurt and Wiesbaden were examined with regard to their sleep habits and their state of health“, so the message of the Philipps University Marburg. The researchers around Prof. Dr. Koehler and dr. Betz found that during the week, on average, the teenagers sleep less than seven hours a day. Around twenty percent of the study participants even slept less than six hours a night, the experts report. At the weekend, however, the sleeping load is significantly higher. Here every second student and trainee get an average of nine hours of sleep daily.

Early school and work as the cause of the sleep deficit?
The teenagers are sleeping „significantly less than older adults, although they actually need more sleep during their lifetime“, said Prof. Koehler, Head of the Sleep Medicine Center at the University Hospital Giessen and Marburg (UKGM). According to the expert, people at a young age have a different daily rhythm. They were active for a long time in the evening and usually would sleep until at least eight or nine in the morning. However, it is usually not possible to fall asleep due to the early work or school start, so that the adolescents build up a permanent sleep deficit. They try to make up for this by getting up very late at the weekend.

Lack of sleep endangers the health of young people
According to Dr. Betz from the Dillenburg Institute for Health Promotion and Research has shown the current study that „Almost two thirds of young people did not rest and perform well during the day“ feel. Due to the persistent sleep deficit they suffer „It also intensifies health problems such as mental health problems, headaches, gastrointestinal complaints.“, reports Betz. The consequence is a more frequent absence at the workplace or at school. In addition, the high daytime fatigue and the risk of accidents, especially in traffic significantly increased, the health researchers at the presentation of the study results at the national prevention Congress in Dresden end of September.

One in five adolescents suffer from sleep disorders
„Qualitative good and quantitatively adequate sleep is considered one of the most important resources for health, especially for adolescents“, emphasized Prof. Koehler in a recent press release of the University Hospital Giessen and Marburg. The researchers therefore uncomfortably surprised that in the study „One in five said they had suffered from sleep disturbances in the past twelve months“ and only a tenth of sufferers were treated for it. The experts see a great need for education here, as traditional health promotion measures have not taken sleep into account. Dr. Betz explained that there is now hope, „that will change based on our study results.“

Serious health consequences of sleep deprivation
Lack of sleep not only manifests itself in chronic fatigue, but has been linked to significant health problems in numerous previous studies. For example, at the beginning of the year, scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA, found evidence of increased diabetes risk for sleep deprivation. Researchers at Warwick Medical School in the UK published a comprehensive long-term study last year that confirmed many health risks from sleep deprivation, such as increased risk of stroke, heart attack and other cardiovascular disease. The fact that the adolescents continue to suffer from sleep deprivation is therefore extremely critical. In fact, due to the natural biorhythm of the adolescents may be thought about a later school or work start. (Fp)