One of the most important parts of a teenager’s health has to do with sleep, yet it is usually disregarded. With homework, sports, after-school jobs, and multiple temptations from mobile phones, most teenagers lack rest that their bodies need. A lack of rest considerably affects nearly every attribute of a teenager’s day, from how one thinks and feels emotionally.
Scientists recommend that teens get between eight to ten hours of sleep each night. This suggestion is supported by how the teenage brain grows. During sleep, the brain organizes memories, clears out the waste, and gets ready to learn new things. When teens do not get enough sleep, it might get harder to focus in class, grades can fall, and even simple tasks seem to be more exhausting.
In the TEDx video “What lack of sleep does to a teenage brain”, Dr. Troxel concludes, “Sleep is not a luxury; it is a biological necessity.” She explains that
teens have a natural shift in their internal clocks that makes them fall asleep later and wake up later. That, of course, means early school start times often work against their biology. According to Dr. Troxel, teens who struggle to wake up early are not being irresponsible. Their bodies are still in what she calls night mode.
This mismatch can hurt a teen’s emotional well-being. Mood swings, irritability, and high stress are all common effects of sleep loss. Dr. Troxel warns that long-term sleep loss raises the risk of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. When teens are tired, the emotional parts of their brains become more sensitive, which makes normal problems feel much worse.
Sleep is also important for physical health with a rested body, the immune system is stronger, wounds heal faster, and balance and coordination are superior. But sleep deprivation in teenagers makes them more sensitive to disease, means a poor sporting performance, and usually leads to more accidents because reaction speed slows down. In fact, other positive behaviors, such as regular exercise and healthy nutrition, are less efficacious without an adequate amount of rest.
The bottom line is that teen sleep is a communal concern. Teens who get sufficient sleep think clearer, feel better, and stay healthier. As Dr Troxel says, supporting teen sleep is “an investment in their safety, health, and success.” Helping teens to make sleep an authentic priority involves a responsibility on families, teachers, schools.
