Sleep is necessary for all living things.

Why do we need sleep? Sleep is essential to good health. Sleep determines how well your body and mind will work while you are awake. During sleep, the body and brain have time to work on things that need to be repaired and organized.

Why does your body need sleep? So your: Muscles, bones, and skin can grow Muscles, skin and other parts can fix injuries Body can stay healthy and fight sickness

Why does your brain need sleep? So you can: Remember what you learn Pay attention and concentrate Solve problems and think of new ideas

How much sleep do you need? The amount of sleep you need varies from one person to the next Teens need more sleep than children and adults do Teens need between 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep each night But wait! I Can’t fall asleep before midnight and I need to be up at 7!

Teens have trouble falling asleep Research shows that during the teen years, the body's circadian rhythm (sort of like an internal clock) is temporarily reset. circadian Your circadian rhythm is telling you to fall asleep later and wake up later.

Why do teens have trouble sleeping? Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the brain to tell people to fall asleep.Melatonin This change in the circadian rhythm is due to the fact that melatonin is produced later at night for teens than it is for kids and adults. This can make it harder for teens to fall asleep early.

How Do I Know if I'm Getting Enough Sleep? Even if you think you're getting enough sleep, you may not be. Here are some of the signs that you may need more sleep: –difficulty waking up in the morning –inability to concentrate –falling asleep during classes –feelings of moodiness and even depression

How Can You Get More Sleep?

Set a regular bedtime Going to bed at the same time each night signals to your body that it's time to sleep. Waking up at the same time every day can also help establish sleep patterns. So try to stick to your sleep schedule even on weekends. Don't go to sleep more than an hour later or wake up more than 2 to 3 hours later than you do during the week.

Exercise regularly Try not to exercise right before bed, though, as it can rev you up and make it harder to fall asleep. Many sleep experts believe that exercising 5 or 6 hours before bedtime (in late afternoon) may actually help a person sleep.

Avoid stimulants Don't drink beverages with caffeine, such as soda and coffee, after 4 PM.

Relax your mind Avoid violent, scary, or action movies or television shows right before bed — anything that might set your mind and heart racing. Reading books with involved or active plots may also keep you from falling or staying asleep.

Unwind by keeping the lights low Light signals the brain that it's time to wake up. Staying away from bright lights (including computer screens!), as well as meditating or listening to soothing music, can help your body relax.

Don't nap too much Naps of more than 30 minutes during the day may keep you from falling asleep later.

Create the right sleeping environment Studies show that people sleep best in a dark room that is slightly on the cool side. Close your blinds or curtains (and make sure they're heavy enough to block out light). Turn down the thermostat in your room (pile on extra blankets or wear PJs if you're cold). Lots of noise can be a sleep turnoff, too.

Wake up with bright light Bright light in the morning signals to your body that it's time to get going.

Avoid all-nighters. Don't wait until the night before a big test to study. Cutting back on sleep the night before a test may mean you perform worse than you would if you'd studied less but got more sleep.

Dear anyone! Help! I am a 14 year old junior high student and I can’t get to sleep at night. I am so tired at school that I am starting to fall asleep in class and my grades are dropping like flies. I thought that I was having problems falling asleep because I stayed up really late this summer and slept in really late. But it is now November and I can’t get back to my normal sleep routine. I try to go to bed early but I lie awake until 2 or 3 in the morning! I have to get up at 7 every day for school. I nap for like an hour when I get home from school. When I can’t sleep I play on the computer and turn up the heat in my room so that I don’t get cold. Sometimes I try to study for my tests late at night too. I like to drink Coke...all of the time.. I hear that it is not good for you, but whatever. But seriously, I need sleep! Can you help me? Garrett

Task With you partner, type a letter to Garrett Using the information you have learned about sleep, identify Garrett’s sleeping problems and give him some advice to help him get more sleep. Be sure to include in your letter: –Explain to him why he is having trouble falling asleep (melatonin and circadian rhythm). –Tell him what he is doing to prevent getting sleep. –Tell him some ways that he can get more sleep at night.

circadian Pronounced: sur-kay-dee-un. Circadian is a Latin word. “Circadian rhythm" refers to the daily repetition of certain biological actions, like sleeping and waking.

melatonin Pronounced: mel-uh-toe-nun. Melatonin is a brain hormone that has been linked to the body's sleep function.

What happens during sleep?

As you're drifting off to sleep, it doesn't seem like much is happening... the room is getting fuzzy and your eyelids feel heavier and heavier. But what happens next? A lot!

What Happens During Sleep? You don't notice it, of course, but while you're asleep, your brain is still active. Okay body, we have work to do.

Stages of Sleep As people sleep, their brains pass through five stages of sleep. Together, stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep make up a sleep cycle. One complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 to 100 minutes. So during an average night's sleep, a person will experience about four or five cycles of sleep.

Sleep Stage 1 In this stage, your brain tells: –your muscles to relax –your heart to beat a little slower –your body temperature to drop a bit.

Sleep Stage 2 Stage 2 is when you are in a light sleep. You can still be woken up easily during this stage. For example, if your sister pokes you or you hear a car horn outside, you'll probably wake up.

Sleep Stage 3 When you're in this stage, you're in a deeper sleep, also called slow-wave sleep. Your brain sends a message to your blood pressure to get lower. Your body isn't sensitive to the temperature of the air around you, which means that you won't notice if it's a little hot or cold in your room. It's much harder to be awakened when you're in this stage, but some people may sleepwalk or talk in their sleep at this point.

Sleep Stage 4 This is the deepest sleep yet and is also considered slow-wave sleep. It's very hard to wake up from this stage of sleep, and if you do wake up, you're sure to be out of it and confused for at least a few minutes. Like they do in stage 3, some people may sleepwalk or talk in their sleep when going from stage 4 to a lighter stage of sleep.

Sleep Stage 5 or REM REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. In this stage your eyes move back and forth very quickly beneath your eyelids. The REM stage is when your heart beats faster and your breathing is less regular. This is also the stage when people dream!

Stages of Sleep While you're asleep, you repeat stages 2, 3, 4, and REM about every 90 minutes until you wake up in the morning. That's about four or five times a night.