1. The Teenage Brain
Intro to Wellness

3. Parts of the Brain
Limbic System: reward system, perception of emotions
Brain Stem: basic life functions
Cerebellum: motor control, balance, coordination
Cerebral Cortex: senses, thinking, problem solving, decision making

4. The Prefrontal Cortex Decision-making Planning ahead &
making strategies
Understanding consequences
Emotions
“Filter”

5. The Central Nervous System

6. How does the brain communicate?
Messages are sent from nerve cell to nerve cell (neurons)
Neurotransmitters – the brain’s chemical messengers
Receptors – the brain’s chemical receivers
Transporters – the brain’s chemical recyclers

7. Use it or Lose it Theory
Connections that are used will be strengthened
Connections that are unused die

8. The Brain
Sleep
Mental Illness
Stress
Substance Use

9. What do you know about sleep?
Teenagers need less sleep than younger children.
Drinking coffee cures drowsiness.
Sleep is a time for your body and brain to shut down.
Being sleepy makes it hard to think straight.
Getting even one hour less a night of sleep will effect daytime performance.
You can easily change your sleep requirements & sleep schedule.

10. What is sleep?
A period of time that you are unconscious to the sensory world & the nervous system is relatively inactive.
Humans sleep an average 1/3 of their lives – (about 122 days a year!)

11. Why is sleep is essential?
Repair and reorganize brain
Memory
Rest muscles
Movement skills
Mood

12. Biological Clock & Circadian Rhythms
Biological clock is how your body keeps track of time.
Circadian rhythms are what your body does with that information.
They are physical, mental and behavioral changes as well as hormone levels that follow a roughly 24- hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness.

13. Michel Siffre’s Experiment

14. Changes in the body during sleep
Body Temperature: 1 – 2 degrees lower
Respiratory: breathing is slower & regular
Cardiovascular: reduction in heart rate & blood pressure
Hormones: increased release of growth hormone & reduction of stress hormone

15. The Sleep Cycle
Sleep follows a regular recurring cycle through five stages that last between 90 and 110 minutes.
Stages 1 – 4 =
NREM Sleep
Stage 5 = REM Sleep

16. Stage One Lasts about 10 minutes Body becomes more drowsy
Eyes will shut
Aware of your surroundings
You can woken easily and if you are will feel like you have had no rest
Body activity reduces by 50%
May experience muscle contractions or the sense of falling which gets the body ready for deeper sleep activity

17. Stage Two Lasts for about 15 minutes Eye movement stops
Brain waves become much slower
Muscles tense and relax which might make you twitch
Body temperature falls

18. Stages Three & Four Known as deep sleep time or delta sleep
Breathing and heart rates at lowest levels
Brain starts to produce large, slow waves or delta waves
Very difficult to be woken from deep sleep
No eye movement or muscle activity
Glands secrete large amounts of growth hormones which help restore the body from the wear & tear of daily activity

19. Stage Five REM Sleep – Rapid Eye Movement Dreams occur
Eyes move rapidly behind lids
Breathing and blood pressure rise
Body from the neck down is paralyzed as a way to stop us from acting out our dreams
When you sort through all the information you picked up during the day- discards unnecessary and consolidates all new memories
Reached 70 – 90 minutes after going to sleep
You will return to this stage another 3 to 5 times a night

20. Measuring Sleep

22. Sleep Debt
The difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount that you do get.
Foggy brain, trouble remembering things, impaired vision.
9 ¼ hours of sleep a night for teenagers!
Sleeping in really late on the weekends will not repay a sleep debt.
Add an extra hour or two each night.

23. Sleep Deprivation When we do not get enough sleep, we:
look tired and may suffer from acne
have trouble concentrating and paying attention in class
are less coordinated and do not perform as well in sports
have a harder time learning or remembering things
may feel grumpy or depressed
have less energy and motivation
are more likely to gain weight
are more likely to get sick
are at risk for serious injuries and even death because our response times in critical moments are much slower

24. Getting a good night sleep
Maintain consistent sleep schedule
Limit caffeine and nicotine
Limit screen time 1 – 2 hours before bed
Keep sleeping area for sleeping
Make your bedroom sleep-inducing
Establish a pre-sleep routine
Go to sleep when you are tired
Use light to your advantage
Eat light at night
Exercise early – at least 3 hours before bed