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As a student athlete, I have learned ways to work on time management to help me get more sleep and still get my work done.  By doing this, I feel more refreshed in the morning which helps tremendously especially when I worked out the night before.  Adding on to that, I try to sustain a healthier diet at night to decrease my sugar intake before bed. Lastly, on the weekends I've been trying harder to wake up around 9:00am so that I get time to sleep in but also don't sleep the day away and get jetlag-like symptoms

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AsapSCIENCE, director. How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need? YouTube, YouTube, 27
July 2014, www.
youtube.com/watch?v=SVQlcxiQlzI.
Hirshkowitz M. Sleep Duration Recommendations. National Sleep Foundation, 2015, www.
sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/2018-10/NSF_sleep_duration_recommendations_chart.png.

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Within your brain, it is difficult for brain cells to communicate effectively which can lead to temporary mental lapses that affect memory and visual perception.  Later on, your memory will fade faster which means your storage capacity will be smaller.  In a study done by Yuval Nir, they stated that, “The researchers found that as the patients got tired, it became more challenging for them to categorize the images, and their brain cells began to slow down.”  Adding onto that, "[They] were fascinated to observe how sleep deprivation dampened brain cell activity. Unlike the usual rapid reaction, the neurons responded slowly, fired more weakly and their transmissions dragged on longer than usual."

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It has been proven, by the U.S. Department of Health, that "Adolescents are notorious for not getting enough sleep. The average amount of sleep that teenagers get is between 7 and 7 ¼ hours. However, they need between 9 and 9 ½ hours.”

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In my life, if I don’t get enough sleep before school it’s hard for me to focus.  I also lose patience when I am tired, which leads to a hard day in my classes or with my friends.  Adding on to that, I give up very easily and don’t challenge myself.  As a result, I feel drained by 7th hour and cannot function by after school practice.

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As you grow up you can adapt better to less sleep. For children it’s recommended to get at least 8 or 9 hours of sleep because they can get cranky.  However, even for the average adult, “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends the average adult clock in seven to eight hours of sleep per night.” It’s been proven that, “Once you hit puberty there is a biological shift in an adolescent’s internal clock of about 2 hours, meaning that a teenager who used to fall asleep at 9:00 PM will now not be able to fall asleep until 11:00PM. It also means waking 2 hours later in the morning.”  This can be hard for many that attend school because they will now go to bed later but also want to sleep in later as well.

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It has been proven by the National Sleep Foundation, that if you get in a nap for 20-30 minutes, it can help improve mood, alertness, and performance.  Adding on to that, the National Sleep Foundation also stated, “If you monitor your food consumption it can improve the sleep you get.”  For instance, certain foods can negatively impact your sleep.  Such as, caffeine too close to when you’re about to go to bed because it makes you more alert rather than sleepy.  Lastly, author Melinda Smith M.A., recommends you get in a habit of a sleep schedule even on the weekends.  "This helps set your body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep."

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What I have always thought was the more sleep the better, however 12 hours of sleep makes me lazy all day.  Everyone’s different but studies have proved that if you’re teen or older over 7 hours of sleep is what your body needs to function at its best. I function best when I get 8 to 9 hours of sleep and wake up with the sun shining because it gets me ready for a productive day.

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Mathewson, Samantha. “Here's What Happens in the Brain When You Don't Get Enough Sleep.” LiveScience, Purch, 7 Nov. 2017, www.
livescience.com/60875-sleep-deprivation-sluggish-brain-cells.html.
“Overscheduling and Stress.” Teen Health and Wellness, Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., April 2018, teenhealthandwellness.com/article/502/
overscheduling-and-stress. Accessed 9 Jan 2020.
“Sleep and Sleep Deprivation.” Teen Health and Wellness, Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., July 2019, teenhealthandwellness.com/article/504/
sleep-and-sleep-deprivation. Accessed 9 Jan 2020.
“Sleep in Adolescents.” Nationwide Children's Hospital, www.
nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/sleep-disorder-center/sleep-in-adolescents.
Smith, Melinda, et al. “How to Sleep Better.” HelpGuide.org, 13 Nov. 2019, www.
helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm.

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1. Having a bad mood and behavior, especially if something is stressful or frustrating.
2. Very emotional making the littlest things turn into something bigger
3.  Unable to perform cognitive abilities
4. Increasingly more driving risks

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Researchers have found that not a lot of people think about the long term effects that come with lack of sleep.  Most figure they can stay up late and do whatever because they’ll only be a little tired in the morning.  However, if this becomes a routine there are very serious consequences.  The Medicine Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research had opened many eyes because they stated in their article that, "50 to 70 million Americans chronically suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, hindering daily functioning and adversely affecting health and longevity.

In an article posted on WebMd, Michael Breus PhD, listed specific illnesses that you could be potentially experience from lack of sleep.  For example, you could experience what it’s like to have, “high blood pressure, diabetes, a heart attack, a heart failure, a stroke, an irregular heartbeat, and you could even become obese.”

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I will admit I’m very guilty when it comes down to how many hours of sleep I get during the week.  I tend to procrastinate which makes me do my homework very late at night.  This has become a bad habit over the years and after researching more about the effects of sleep deprivation I have realized the importance to stop.  In my family there is high risks for diabetes and heart diseases which means I need to take care of my body for not only the short term but also for the long term.