Sleep Deprivation
"Studies show that tired drivers are just as dangerous as drunk drivers - which scares my parents since I drive to school every day."
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to this Commentary!
By Meena Hartenstein
 When
I was little, I used to love to stay up late. Now that I'm older,
all I want is a good night's sleep.
Experts say teenagers need at least nine hours of sleep per night,
but during the school year, I'm lucky if I get six. Cramming for
a test, I crawl into bed around one-thirty and my alarm starts beeping
the next morning at seven.
Sleep deprivation is a serious problem. Studies show that tired
drivers are just as dangerous as drunk drivers - which scares my
parents since I drive to school every day. Even teachers get frustrated
with sleepy students. My pre-calculus teacher complains his students
are too tired to pay attention in his class because they stay up
all night studying for other classes.
I personally can't function when I haven't slept enough. My mind
wanders in class, and when I'm driving, my reactions are slower.
But I don't always have a choice. During the school year, my schedule
is just too busy to hit the sack early.
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