How much sleep teenagers actually need

Does having a good sleep sound good right now? Snuggled into a warm blanket on top of a pillow that feels like a cloud of marshmallows.

However, you wake up feeling like it has only been 10 minutes and it’s time for school again. That is how most teenagers in this country feel right now, waking feeling like they only slept for only 10 minutes. This is due to the lack of sleep a lot of teenagers are experiencing today. Depending on the age group, an average teen should get at least eight to nine hours of sleep every day.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average teenager aged 13-18 will need more than 8 hours to sleep every day. Although sleep is very important for people of all ages, it is arguable that sleep is the most important for teenagers. 

This is because teens are in the fastest-growing phase in their whole life due to puberty. This includes rapid physical and mental growth.

According to Live Science, there is an increase in luteinizing hormones which triggers ovulation in females and the production of testosterone in males when sleeping. This means that the teenage body actually develops the fastest when they are sleeping. Other than the growth of the body, sleep also increases the health of the body.

According to NHLBI, sleep is involved in healing and repairing the heart and blood vessels. While the physical body is being repaired while sleeping, the brain is also getting repaired and boosted.

According to the NCBI, the brain reorganizes and recharges itself by removing toxic waste byproducts which have accumulated throughout the day. So without enough sleep time, it can decrease the health of the brain. According to Medical News Today, not getting enough sleep decreases the ability to regulate and control our emotions. In the long term, this can lead to no good.

On the other hand, students who don’t get enough sleep may face many consequences including physical and mental illnesses. The CDC shows that a shocking 72.7% of high school students and 57.8% of middle school students do not get enough sleep on school nights. Not getting enough isn’t just about being more tired, it may cause many issues for the body and the mind.

According to Sleep Foundation, not getting enough sleep can affect the frontal lobe of the brain which has to do with decision making and behaviors. Not surprisingly, the amount of crime activity in schools today has skyrocketed.

According to USA Today, violent incidents in schools increased 113 percent during the 2017-18 school year from the previous year. Some examples of these activities are drug and alcohol use, fighting, sexual behaviors and even carrying a weapon on campus. Studies have shown that these kinds of activities will more likely to happen in teens who get too little sleep. These behavioral problems can affect their academic performances and their relationships with friends and family. 

There are many factors on how teenagers are missing their precise sleeping time. For example, schoolwork, staying up late playing video games, or just wasting time on social media. There are many ways to fix these distractions. For electronic devices, simply put them outside of your room to ignore it. 

Sleep is very important for the mind and body. Sometimes distraction may keep you away from a good sleep. It is your job to monitor it. In the end, your body doesn’t belong to anyone else.