Teenagers: Lazy, tired, irritable and unreasonable creatures that don’t appreciate everything parents do for them and just want you to ‘SHUT UP!’
But recent studies suggest that the first two of those words aren’t anything that can be helped. The majority of teenagers get approximately 8 hours of sleep, but they actually need at least 9! The teenage body runs 2-4 hours slower than the average adult, this means that forcing pimple ridden, stroppy teens into a 10’ till 6’ (or around that time) sleeping pattern could be unhealthy. This is perhaps the main reason why teenagers struggle to drift into a slumber at a reasonable time, and then wake up refreshed at a reasonable time.
This then shows that allowing teenagers to ‘lie in’ and stay in bed until about 9 o’ clock could make them in a better mood, and more importantly, increase concentration, awareness, memory, and possibly even boost exam results.
Scientists can do experiments, such as late and early starts to test whether waking up later or earlier can make concentration better or worse, and ultimately, much of the problem comes down to the person. All of the social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, BBM, Kik, Whatsapp, Ask.fm, iMessage, Skype, FaceTime, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Other Mail Services, Flickr, Vine, Myspace, and Google+ etc.) and popular websites such as YouTube and television shows such as Family Guy, Waterloo Road and other technical doohickeys that increase the brains activity should not be taken an hour before bed time, as it takes longer for the brain to relax.
So, teenagers need more sleep. But how much of the problem is due to those early starts; and how much is down to you, them, or us. Your choice.
Written by Laura and Frankie
Bluecoat Reporters 