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VictorPorcelli

Ms.Sroka

Writing

February7,2017

Whatcouldhappentoateenageriftheydontgetenoughsleepbeforeschool

AsurveybytheNationalSleepFoundationfoundthatonly15%ofteensaregettingenoughsleep

onschoolnights.Also,itshowedthatthelackofsleepiscausingdepressioninalmosthalfofthose

teens.(TeensandSleep)Sleepisoneofthekeyingredientstoahealthyteenager.Sleepmaybe

particularlyimportantduringadolescenceasthisisaperiodofincreasedbrainmaturation

(Pasch)anditisimportantforateenager/adolescenttohaveafullymaturebrainbecauseinthese

yearsschoolbecomesharderandteenagersneedabrainthatcouldwithstandthiskindof

pressure.MypassionwasalwayssleepbecausethatssomethingIenjoytodowhetheritsinthe

morning,afternoon,ornighttime.Itcouldevenbeapartyoutsidemybedroomdoorandifyou

walkintomyroomyoumightjustfindmesleeping.Ialsofeltlikesleepwasimportanttomeand

possiblyothersbecausewithoutsleepmostpeoplecantoperatecorrectlyandwithoutenough

sleepnotmanyteenagerscoulddotheirbestinschool.Sleepaffectsteensinmanyways,like

depressionandalackofawareness.Lesssleepcouldalsoaffectyouremotionsandcouldhave
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youactlikeapersonwhosbipolar.Finallyifateenagerhaslesssleepthantheycouldbecome

tardyandorabsentforschoolmoreabsent.

So,withthatsaid,whatcanhappentoteenswhodonotgetenoughsleep?Lackofsleep

cancause,depressivesymptomatology(Smaldone)inteenagers.Thiswasmainlyaproblemfor

teenagersbecauseschoolbecomesharderthehigherthegrade;whichmeansduringthe8thgrade

andhighschoolyearsschoolisatitshardest.Notallteensarereadyforthiskindofworkandor

stressbecausenotallofthemgotenoughsleepthedaybefore.Lesssleepcouldalsoleadto,

increasedrisksforexcessivesleepiness[and]difficultywithmoodregulation(Carskadon)that

meansthatthelesssleepyougetthemoreofabadattitudeyoullhaveduringtheday.Thiswould

especiallybebadforteenagersbecauseiftheyhaveabadattitudeinschoolitcouldpossiblylead

toadetentionorsomeotherkindofpunishmentyoudontwant.Itcouldevenaffecttheirgrades

sinceexcessivesleepinesscouldleadtoteenagersfallingasleepintheirclasses.

Howcouldlesssleepaffectateenagersemotionsandlooksinschool?Family

disagreements[and]heatedarguments[inschool](Smaldone)couldhappenwhenteenagers

dontgetenoughsleepbecausesometeenagersmaynotwanttobebotheredbyteachers,peers,or

eventheirfamilymembersbecausetheymaystillbetiredandcrankyafternotgettingenough

sleeptheydaybeforestarted.Lesssleepcouldcause,obesityinadolescents(Levy).Thiscould

happentomanysleepyteenagersbecausetheymightbegintodrinkmoresugaryandsaltyfoods

anddrinkssothattheycouldstayawakeduringclassesandtheschoolday.Theycouldalso

becomeobesebynotgettingenoughsleepbecauseinsteadofbeingactiveandexercisingintheir

sparetimeoutsideofschoolonweekendstheymightbetryingtogetbackthesleeptheymissed

outoninthatweekofschoolduringtheweekend
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Howcouldlesssleepaffectateenagersawarenessinaschoolenvironment?When

teenagersgetlittletonosleeptheytendtopaylessattentiontothethingsthathappenintheir

surroundingsandintheirclassroomslike,impairedacademicperformance,learning

difficulties,...andaccidentsandinjuries,whichcouldleadtofailinggrades,lessparticipationin

classesandcouldevenleadtoseriousinjuriesifteensarentawareofalltheirsurroundings.Less

sleepalsoleadsto,awiderangeofnegativephysical,social,emotional,andcognitive

outcomesincludingpoorconcentration,whichisaseriousproblembecause,how

couldyoupossiblygetgoodgradesinschoolifyoucantevenconcentrateonadayto

daybases?Thisisalsoaproblembecauseitcanaffectyousociallyandemotionally.

Thiscouldaffectyousociallybecauseinsteadofbeingactiveinyourcommunityand

hangingoutwithfriendsyoumaybetobusytryingtogetbackthesleepthatyoulost,

itcouldevenleadtobecomingsociallyawkwardsinceyouvespentsomuchtime

awayfromsocietysleepingitcouldbehardtomakenewfriends.Thiscouldalso

affectyouemotionallybecausewithlessawarenesstothingsteenagersmaybeless

awareofthethingstheysaytoothersespeciallyiftheyarefullofallkindsof

emotions.Thiscouldbeverybadforteenagersbecausethiscouldleadtoalotof

troubleforthem;especiallyinaschoolenvironmentsincethingsaretakenwaymore

serious.
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Inconclusionsleepisoneofthemostimportantthingstoeverhappentoa

teenagersbecausesleepleadstoanourishedbrainandbody.Italsoleadstoaneven

betterattitude.Agoodamountofsleepcouldalsobenoticedinateenagers

grades.Sleepisalmostlikearechargeablebatterythatyourbodyneedssothatitcan

operateonadaytodaybases.Sleepisthekeyateenagerwhoisreadytotakeon

adulthoodandalotmoreresponsibilities;becausewithsleepteenagersbecome

morematureandfocusedonimportanttasks.

WorksCited:

WorksCited

"AdolescentChangesinHomeostaticRegulationofEEGActivityintheDeltaand

ThetaFrequencyBandsduringNREMSleep."Sleep(2011).Print.

Bass,Joseph,andFredW.Turek."SleeplessinAmerica."ArchivesofInternal

Medicine165.1(2005):15.Print.

"TeensandSleep."SleepforTeenagers-NationalSleepFoundation.Web.07Feb.
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2017.