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Required viewing

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How Teenagers' Brains Are Actually Wired Differently

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Uploaded by TeenMentalHealth.Org on 2012-02-22.

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Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education

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University of Utah Neuroscience Initiative

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In the video, we mentioned that the drive to sleep is triggered by internal and external cues. Internally, our awake brain receives accumulating signals that it is time to shut down (sleep pressure) and externally, environmental cues from daylight works with our biological clock to keep us synced into day/night cycles. What are some factors that contribute to throwing off our circadian rhythm and our sleep-inducing signals? Staying up late, waking up too early, having artificial light ( cell phones) at night, are all factors that throw off our biological clock. Caffeine and other stimulants can delay the signals reaching our brain, telling us it's time to sleep.

For ideas about how to remedy those sleepless nights, visit the Sleep Disorders Center at UCLA and find out more about circadian rhythms and what disturbs them. Like to sleep with the light on? Maybe it's not such a good idea. Find out by reading Scientific American's article: Why Is Blue Light before Bedtime Bad for Sleep?

Teenagers are especially vulnerable to sleep deprivation. Visit this site and find out what some side effects are and what can be done to alleviate sleepless nights!

For more on sleep, take a look at this TED Ed lesson on the topic: The benefits of a good night's sleep by Shai Marcu. Then, go to the TED Talk playlist: Talks to inspire you to get a good night's sleep! Now get to bed, sleep tight, and catch some zzzzzzz's!

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What would happen if you didn't sleep? - Claudia Aguirre

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In the United States, it's estimated that 30 percent of adults and 66 percent of adolescents are regularly sleep-deprived. This isn't just a minor inconvenience: staying awake can cause serious bodily harm. Claudia Aguirre shows what happens to your body and brain when you skip sleep.

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Let's Begin...

Stress isn't always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you're playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it's continuous, it actually begins to change your brain. Madhumita Murgia shows how chronic stress can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions, right down to the level of your genes.

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How stress affects your brain - Madhumita Murgia

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Stress isn't always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you're playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it's continuous, it actually begins to change your brain.

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In the battle of the sexes, who actually has the superior intellect?

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The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain - Sarah-Jayne Blakemore