By Juan Villanueva |
Ever since the first day you opened your eyes, you’ve done it. Today, many of us probably don’t get enough of it, but why should we?
Believe it or not, sleep is important to mostly every mammal. Sleeping not only helps us rest, and feeds our brain, but it’s also where some of the most important thinking activity happens.
Sleeping is key essential to the human body and people, especially teenagers not getting enough of it can be very harmful and have consequences.
Only about 15 percent of teens get their required sleep, while the remaining 85 percent don’t.
Teens not sleeping the recommended nine to nine and a half hours of sleep can affect their mood and behaviors. Odds are if a student gets less than their required sleep, they will be in a bad mood and have a negative attitude which isn’t a good thing.
Not getting enough sleep can also affect the way a teen looks.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, lack of sleep gives teenagers more chances of developing acne, skin problems and many other serious health problems like diabetes, heart attacks, and high blood pressure, with those only being a few.
Finally, getting little rest can manipulate a teenager’s academic performance. Teenagers forgetting things like how to do a simple math problem, is only one of many consequences that can affect their grades at school.
Sure some teenagers laugh when they hear the term sleep, but the truth is that they shouldn’t. Teenagers need to limit their time spent during things like phone usage or playing video games. This means that they need to open their eyes and realize how getting sleep is important and how not getting enough of it isn’t right.
If after reading this, you change your mind about why sleep is important and want some tips on how to get a teenager’s required sleep, read the following.
• Once you get home from school or extracurricular activities, do your homework.
• Make a schedule to organize your everyday objectives.
• Shower early, do all you have to do at least eight hours before you have to wake up.
• Don’t drink any heavy drinks like soda, especially those with caffeine that can cause you to stay awake.
• Set an alarm everyday at the same time, get used to a routine or make one if you don’t have one.
• Most importantly, recognize you have sleeping problems and talk to others about it.
• Ask for help if needed.
All-in-all, not getting enough sleep can affect a teenager’s ways of thinking, their behaviors, moods, looks, academic performance and many other things.
It is up to every individual to decide whether they will have a healthy sleep every night or make the incorrect choice and face consequences.