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- Sleep is linked to academic performance, including decision-making, problem-solving, and attention, all of which impact teens’ ability to learn. If teens are too sleepy to pay attention in class, they won't retain important notes covered by the teacher. During sleep, our brain also consolidates memories.
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Jan 2, 2024 · Sleep is linked to academic performance, including decision-making, problem-solving, and attention, all of which impact teens’ ability to learn. If teens are too sleepy to pay attention in class...
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- Not ‘akin to death’
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Sleep has a profound impact on human health, improving attention, memory, emotional regulation and work performance, and reducing the risk of disease1,2. But over the past few decades, the amount of sleep that people get has declined substantially. A 2012 study3 of some 690,000 children from 20 countries found that nightly sleep duration fell by more than an hour from 1905 to 2008. Nearly one-third of adults in the United States sleep for less than six hours per night2, and sleep duration has dropped since the 1960s for adults in Japan, Russia, Finland, Germany, Belgium and Austria4.
“Society as a whole has changed quite a lot,” says Theun Pieter van Tienoven, a researcher at the Free University of Brussels who studies gender division of labour, daily routines and sleep sociology. “We tend to want to do much more than we can handle in our daily life.” According to van Tienoven, digitalization and globalization have driven many people to cram more activities into their daily schedules, often at the expense of sleep. The use of social media at night and fear of missing out have been shown to reduce sleep quality, perhaps because people stay up later to engage in social activities, and exposure to blue light from screens has a damaging effect on their sleep–wake cycles, or circadian rhythms5.
“Historically there wasn’t as much interest in sleep, because for many centuries people thought sleep was akin to death,” says Mark Wu, a physician and neurologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who studies sleep disorders and the genetic mechanisms that regulate sleep. “What really spurred the development of sleep research was a discovery that there are very specific brainwave patterns that occur during sleep,” he says. The discovery was made in 1929 by the German psychiatrist Hans Berger, using a technique called electroencephalography (EEG), which measures electrical activity in the brain6. Eight years later, a group of scientists used the same technique to identify different stages of sleep7.
Today, most researchers describe sleep as occurring in two main phases: rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep comprises three stages, known as N1, N2 and N3, and these are characterized by specific brainwave patterns that reflect neural activity. These three stages of non-REM sleep plus REM sleep comprise the sleep cycle, and people who sleep well typically experience four to six cycles every night8.
Jun 25, 2022 · Teens (ages 14 to 17): 8 to 10 hours. What can parents do to improve sleep? Sleep—either falling or staying asleep—can be a struggle for some kids. Paving the way for a good night’s rest starts with a consistent bedtime routine. Try these tips: Dim the lights. Avoid screen time at least an hour before bed and keep technology out of the bedroom.
Feb 1, 2012 · Now four studies suggest that naps may boost intellectual performance, at least in the short term. The research shows that NREM sleep can improve memory and that REM sleep can enhance creative problem solving. It's a two-step approach that should give every man something to sleep on.
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Feb 20, 2023 · Sleep helps kids learn, remember, and process information better. A good night’s sleep increases alertness. It boosts concentration while enhancing problem-solving skills and memory. Not only does sleep help with learning, but it can also improve a child’s physical performance.
Nov 21, 2019 · Studies show that a good night's sleep improves learning. Whether you're learning math, how to play the piano, how to perfect your golf swing, or how to drive a car, sleep helps enhance your learning and problem-solving skills. Sleep also helps you pay attention, make decisions, and be creative.
Oct 12, 2016 · Eight Ways to Help Teens Get More Sleep. Is your teen sleep-deprived? Stop arguing and start listening, says Christine Carter. By Christine Carter | October 12, 2016. Sleep is, arguably, the golden ticket to happiness. Our silver bullet to success. A straight shot to both physical and mental health.
