Most high school students are sleep-deprived

Are you or someone you know a high school student? If so, chances are that you could use a good nap right now.

A new study out of Columbia University found that a whopping nine out of 10 high schoolers aren’t getting enough sleep each night.

It’s even worse for high school seniors – with only 5 percent of the nation’s 12th graders are getting nine to 10 hours of sleep, which the recommended amount of rest for adolescents.

The researchers warn that a lack of sleep could have serious and long-term consequences for years to come. “Sleep is essential for the health of the human brain,” lead researcher Charles Basch and his colleagues write in the paper, which appears in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

“The data show a need for universal interventions — those directed toward all students,” the authors continue. “Unfortunately, intervention research directed toward high school populations has received little attention.”

Follow Lakshmi Gandhi on Twitter @LakshmiGandhi.