In response to the growing number of caffeinated energy drinks and other products being marketed to adolescents, NPR called upon Amy Wolfson, professor of psychology at the College of the Holy Cross, for insight into why sleep-deprived teens turn to caffeine instead of getting the sleep they need.
"We devalue sleep as a society, and that's been clear to sleep researchers for a long time," she said. "You wonder a little bit whether the marketers, whether purposefully or not, realize that we know that we have a sleepy population, beginning in seventh grade and possibly earlier, and that they are going to use these products in order to be more alert, be more attentive."
This "Holy Cross in the News" item by Kristine Maloney.
