<i></i> <i></i> <i></i> 0<p><img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/12/c-users-mahad-downloads-8-12-3313-01-jpg.jpeg"/></p> <p>Who does not love sleep? When we were younger and our parents asked us to go to bed, we would fret and frown and waste time all around. As little kids, we never realized what a blessing sleep was. Back then, it was a boring thing we had to do because nighttime had arrived.</p> <p>Growing up, however, things started to get a little clearer. As life played its roles and brought about responsibilities and stress, the desire and need for sleep increased. It is human nature to not appreciate what you have until it’s gone, and that is exactly what happened.</p> <p>Years after our childhood, we’ve realized what a privilege sleep actually is. As of now, we have a lot of reasons for staying wide awake: work, studying, or even procrastinating. However, what we don’t realize is that not getting enough sleep is detrimental to us.</p> <p>Our parents had good reasons to send us to bed before midnight, but we never gave it a thought. However, the truth is that sleep deprivation can bring about a lot of mood disorders in teens. Not having enough sleep can affect you in ways you never knew.</p> <p>To back our facts, we looked into a study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. Let’s see how it went down.</p> <h2>6. The research.</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/12/word-image-624.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh gathered 35 pre-teens and teenagers for their study and introduced them to a sleep laboratory. They were divided into two groups over the course of the two-night research and were given a certain amount of hours to sleep.</p> <p>The first group was going to be put to sleep for ten hours, while the other was allotted only four hours. However, the groups were asked to switch their sleeping schedules a week later. This time, the first group had to sleep for ten hours and the second for ten hours.</p> <h2>5. What happened during the research?</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/12/word-image-625.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>During the research, the participants were asked a few questions about their mental well-being. Their answers were not too surprisingly.</p> <p>The more a teen or pre-teen slept the less depressive symptoms they showed. A press release regarding the study stated that even a little bit of sleep restriction had the ability to raise depression risks and addictions over the long term.</p> <p>Naturally, the group that slept lesser had increased depressive symptoms and a distinct lack of motivation.</p> <h2>4. The science behind it all.</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/12/word-image-626.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>After reading about the research, you must be thinking about how sleep deprivation is detrimental to our mental health. To answer that question, just keep reading!</p> <p>Sleep deprivation has a direct effect on the putamen, which is the part of our brain that deals with limb movement. It also contributes to “goal-based movements and learning from rewards,” as stated in the results of the research. To find out more about the effects of sleep deprivation, participants were made to take part in games.</p> <p>These weren’t any normal games, however; they had monetary rewards. While playing, the brains of these participants underwent scans and the results weren’t too surprising, again. The putamen of sleep deprived participants was less responsive as they showed a lack of motivation for the reward at stake.</p> <p>However, the well-rested teens and pre-teens were up and running.</p> <h2>3. A little more on the study …</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/12/word-image-627.jpeg"/>shutterstock <p>While very effective, this study proves what scientists had already suspected before. Similar previous studies show that there is a link between mood disorders and sleep deprivation, especially in adults.</p> <p>Another noteworthy point is that adolescent brains are not completely developed. This means that if sleeping hours were not taken care of, their brains would not function to their best. It could also change the wiring of their brains for the long term and certainly not for the better.</p> <p>The results also stated that sleep deprivation in the teen and tween years could interfere with how the brain processes rewards. A lack of motivation would be the result. This could also disrupt mood and raise the risk of depression, risk-taking activities, and addiction.</p> <h2>2. Taking action.</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/12/word-image-629.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Now that you know about the harmful effects of sleep deprivation, it is time to take action.</p> <p>Sleeping is very vital to our body as it ensures the best functioning of it. Therefore, it should be right up there on your list of priorities. Make sure you get enough sleep at night; 6-8 hours should suffice. Try putting away your cellphones and tablets and turn off the TV. Nothing should come above sleeping.</p> <p>Moreover, there are a lot of benefits of having a good night’s sleep. It ensures a happier and much more productive you and reduces the risks of mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. It also keeps you motivated.</p> <h2>1. How do I get a good night’s sleep?</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/12/word-image-631.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>Having a healthy amount of sleep can be the best thing you do to yourself. A few ways of getting a good night’s sleep are as follows.</p> <p>The National Institute of Health says that some of the best ways to have a nice sleep are avoiding heavy meals before going to bed, turning off the computer and other related gadgets an hour or so before sleeping and having a dark and quiet bedroom.</p> <p>Sleeping in on weekends should also be avoided as it disturbs the body’s sleep-wake rhythm. Moreover, the study states that mobile phones and social media are the reasons behind sleep deprivation in teens. It’s gotten to the point where this has become a way of life.</p> <p>Therefore, the next time you find yourself scrolling through social media, watching videos, or looking at memes at 3am in the morning, do give a thought to sleep deprivation and all its effects. Once you are reminded of how badly it can impact you and hamper your brain functions, you will surely pay attention to your sleeping routine. The thing that should scare you the most is that it can change your brain’s functionality on a long term basis.</p> <p>The thing that should motivate you, however, is that it is not too late to improve your sleeping habits!</p> <i></i>