A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that only 8 percent of high school students say they regularly get an adequate night's sleep - and that can lead to depression and insomnia. But there is a drug-free way to help.
A growing epidemic is stealing our sleep. Sixteen-year-old Samantha Privette knows what it's like.
"It started, I couldn't sleep through the night, and then, I couldn't get to sleep at all," she said.
Three to four hours of sleep became the norm for this student.
"My grades dropped drastically," said Privette. "I had F's and D's at points, and it was just not me."
Pharmacists filled more than 50 million prescriptions for sleep meds last year. Some experts say it's not worth the risk.
"You do develop a dependency with virtually every sleep aid that's out there," says Dr. Akinyemi Ajayi, medical director at the Orlando Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Associates.
Dr. Gregg Jacobs, sleep specialist at the UMass Memorial Medical Center, offers an alternative called cognitive behavioral therapy: a five-week program completed either in person or online.
"A lot of people don't have the time or the ability to come over here to the sleep clinic for four or five visits," said Dr. Jacobs.
Some lessons in the program:
-Get up at the same time every day.
-Keep a sleep diary.
-Don't stay in bed if you're awake. Instead, get away for 30 minutes. Patients also practice relaxation.
"We find a lot of people are actually more comfortable with a computer than interacting with a person," said Dr. Jacobs.
A recent sleep journal study found 81-percent of participants using online behavior therapy reported improved sleep.
Samantha is seeing a counselor and is getting more sleep.
"I'm making better grades, and I'm able to concentrate more," says Samantha.
Spending less time catching up, and more time living life.
Dr. Jacobs' five-week program costs $25. CLICK HERE for more information.
