Everyone knows that sleep is important. It is how our bodies recharge and get ready for the next day. However, many teenagers only get 5-6 hours a night, which is not nearly enough to be healthy and productive. On average, a teenager should be getting between 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Apart from the obvious benefit of being less tired throughout the day, getting a good night’s sleep can improve your life in many different ways.
According to the American Academy of Sleep, getting enough sleep prevents health problems. Specifically, teenagers have more anxiety and depression when having a lack of sleep. There are also many physical diseases that can occur from not getting the recommended amount of sleep. For instance, enough sleep can prevent the risk of heart diseases—high blood pressure and heart attacks in particular. There is also evidence that sleep improves memory. Many students choose to pull an all-nighter before big exams to cram, when instead, the best option would be to study a little every day and review the night before. A recent study showed that students make 36% more careless errors on tests from getting too little sleep. With a good night’s sleep, your brain retains more information, allowing you to be more prepared for the exam.
Overall, getting a good night’s sleep is very beneficial. It allows you to feel more productive and energetic throughout the day. I personally love going on social media at night, however, I realized that the best option for my mental and physical health would be to sleep instead, and I have noticed a huge improvement in my productivity the next day.