Teenage Sleep Assignment
By: Cynthia Parker
Awareness
Right now as you read this how conscious are you of your surroundings. Did you get enough sleep last night? Did you wake up tired? Maybe after your alarm went off you crawled back in bed for those extra 5 minutes. Perhaps you're so tired you didn't even here what this flyer was about when it was passed out, but you some how managed to here your friend talking about hanging out after school. This is your selective attention, it's when you listen to and take in what you want.
Consciousness
Have you ever had trouble remembering something that should have been really easy to answer. (Ex: What is you address? What is your phone number? Which teachers do you have?, etc.) This is information that is stored in your sub-conscious. It's the information that you know and will most likely always know, but you don't think about, therefore it may take a second or so to remember the what is being asked. With you unconscious mind it is quite different, when you have a bad experience your brain stores in it and you will always be careful to not end up in the same situation whether you realize it or not. Sleep can affect both of these things, the more and better sleep you get the more alert you will be, and the more aware of everything around you, so you can avoid putting your self in embarrassing or dangerous situations.
Sleep Cycle
If your body run on a very delicate circadian rhythm, anything that disrupts that can throw everything off. You body runs off of the circadian rhythm, it is also known as your biological clock, in which your body tells you when it need to eat or sleep, though sometimes it is ignored. During you're sleep cycle you enter many different stages, the first two stages you are in a very light sleep and can be woken very easily, the second two stages you are in a very deep sleep (this is also were night terrors can occur). During the last stage your brain become active and you eyes begin to move under your eyelids causing you to dream. This is called the REM stage or the rapid eye movement stage.
The Importance of Sleep
It is very important that you get a full and good nights sleep every single night. Though most do not, due to sports, homework, jobs, or other reasons. Most teenager blow off sleep, because they think they can catch up on it during the weekend, though this is not true. Each night you don't sleep those few hours that you skipped over, you are losing the ability to be more alert during the next day. You can not make up the tiredness you already had. If you have trouble getting to sleep if my be beneficial to stay away from technology and sweets for at least an hour before bed. It may also help if you exercise before bed, this will cause you to fall asleep fast because your muscles are fatigued. Though if you suffer from sleep disorders (Narcolepsy, night terrors, sleepwalking, insomnia, or sleep apnea) you can always talk to your doctor about getting medicine to help you sleep better at night. These medicines will help put your brain in an altered state and cause the activity to slow down helping you sleep. So be sure to get plenty of sleep to help boost your grades, alertness, mood, and confidence.
Citations
http://www.soulresearchinstitute.org/CONSCIOUSNESS.jpg
http://fractal.fractalenlighten.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/understanding-subconscious-mind.jpg
http://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/activities/sleeping/clip-art-sleeping-639983.jpg
http://www.sleepforkids.org/images/cycles2.jpg
http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/ecM/Gjj/ecMGjjzcn.gif
http://fractal.fractalenlighten.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/understanding-subconscious-mind.jpg
http://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/activities/sleeping/clip-art-sleeping-639983.jpg
http://www.sleepforkids.org/images/cycles2.jpg
http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/ecM/Gjj/ecMGjjzcn.gif