Sleep: the Teenage Years.
Sleep is food for the brain. During sleep, important body functions and brain activity occur. Skipping sleep CAN be harmful -- even deadly, particularly if you are behind the wheel. You can look bad, you may feel moody, and you perform poorly. Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your exam results, reduce sporting achievements.
WARNING: A brain that’s hungry for sleep will get it, even when you don’t expect it. Simple drowsiness and falling asleep at the wheel cause thousands car crashes every year. Lack of sleep increases the chance of death or injury in accidents.
What every teen should know about sleep.
Sleep is vital to your well being. It’s as important as the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat.
Teen sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking … ie. It’s natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm.
Most teens DO NOT get enough sleep. They need about 9.25 hours of sleep each night to function best (for some, 8.5 hours is enough).
Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week -- they typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends. This habit can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep.
Many teens suffer from treatable sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnoea.
