Question

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For Teens, A Good Mood Depends on Good Sleep Sleeping less than eight hours — or more than 10 — makes teenagers feel worse the next day
By Meenaskshi Prabhune
2017
How many hours of sleep do you get a night? Likely not as much as Andrew Fuligni finds teenagers should get in his new study. In this informational text, Meenaskshi Prabhune discusses how many hours of sleep teenagers should get each night to be at their best the next day. As you read, take notes on why teenagers may not be getting enough sleep.
[1]
For families with teenagers, school nights may
fall into a familiar pattern. Parents urge their
kids to go to bed early. But teens would rather
stay up late. Maybe they have homework or
want to spend time with friends. Or maybe it’s
just hard to fall asleep. But a new study
confirms that adolescents1 need eight to 10
hours of sleep at night to feel their best the
next day.
As kids reach adolescence, they often face

increasing workloads and responsibilities. But they are not yet adults. Their bodies and
"Untitled" by minh đô is licensed under CC0.

brains are still changing. As a result, “Their sleep needs are like that of a developing child,” says Rafael Pelayo. He is a sleep doctor at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine in California. He was not involved in the new study.
“Adolescence is sometimes referred to as the ‘perfect storm’ of problems of sleep,” says Pelayo. On the one hand, teens need regular sleep to be mentally and physically healthy. But their internal clocks2 shift during this period. Their bodies want to stay awake later at night and sleep later in the morning. School still starts early, though. As a result, Pelayo estimates that 80 to 90 percent of teens do not get enough sleep.
That missed sleep has consequences.3Sleep-deprived kids are more prone4 to mental and
1. Adolescent (noun) a young person in the process of developing from a child into an adult 2. a system in the body that controls when a person sleeps, eats, and performs other necessary functions
3. Consequence (noun) something that happens as a result of an action or set of conditions 1


physical illnesses. Sleepy drivers face a heightened risk of car accidents — the top cause of teenage death. But too much sleep can have its own problems, such as leaving teens with a sour mood upon waking.
Sleep affects mood
[5]
Andrew Fuligni studies the mental health of adolescents at the University of California, Los Angeles. He wanted to understand which sleep habits help teens feel and perform their best. To find out, his team surveyed 419 students. Each was between the ages of 13 and 19. Every day for two weeks, these volunteers recorded when they fell asleep and woke up. They also rated their moods and feelings the next day, such as their happiness, anxiety and pain.
Most students reported good moods after a night of eight to 10 hours of sleep. “Too much sleep and too little sleep are both extremes,” says Pelayo. And both were linked with problems.
Within that eight-to-10-hour range, older kids seemed to need the least sleep. “A 17- or 18-year old does not need as much sleep as a 14-year-old in order to function on a daily basis,” Fuligni found. But, he adds, “They still need a sizeable amount of sleep.”
The team published its findings August 18 in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
Even among kids the same age, everyone needed a slightly different amount of sleep to feel good. One reason could be health issues that differ among them. For instance, in the new study, kids with anxiety and depression seemed to need more sleep to function well.
[10]
Sleep is a lot like appetite, Pelayo says. Just as people eat different amounts of food daily, sleep patterns between healthy people also may differ.
Choosing snoozing
Biologically,5 kids’ bodies shift toward a later schedule during the teenage years. “They become more like night owls and less like early risers,” says Fuligni. But despite the change in their internal body clocks, school start times and other schedules don’t change.
“We have set up a system that’s very difficult for many teenagers and some kids who might be at risk of mental and behavioral health problems,” he concludes.
4. Prone (verb) more likely to suffer from something
5. related to the science of the body
2

One way to help teens get enough sleep is to have school start later. Some school districts have already done this. They’ve found that the later times let kids sleep more. They also have seen fewer car accidents, higher test scores and better graduation rates. Because of this, California lawmakers are trying to change school start times in their state. If they succeed, California middle and high schools could start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
But until schools change their start times, teenagers have to help themselves. Pelayo suggests teens sleep for 10 hours each night for a week or two. This will help them figure out how much sleep they need to feel their best.
[15]
Sleeping more on weekends to make up for missing sleep during the week isn’t a good idea, though. Fuligni warns that getting different amounts of sleep each night can be bad for mental health.
Pelayo agrees. “The amount of sleep you get on weekdays and weekends should be the same,” he says. We don’t starve ourselves of food on weekdays and gorge on weekends, he points out. We shouldn’t do that with sleep either.
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Discussion post:

For your discussion post, download the article below.



Once you have read the article, it is time to prepare for your discussion post. In your discussion, you are going to explain whether or not you agree or disagree that students need sleep to be in a good mood. Create a claim stating which side you are on.

Make sure to include the following in your discussion post:

1. An introduction to evidence (use a sentence stem)
2. A direct quote from the article
3. An in-text citation following MLA rules
4. Reasoning as to why the evidence matters
5. Make sure the length of your discussion is one-two paragraphs long

Answer 1

In your discussion, you are going to explain whether or not you agree or disagree that students need sleep to be in a good mood.

Create a claim stating which side you are on.

Make sure to include the following in your discussion post:

1. An introduction to evidence (use a sentence stem)
2. A direct quote from the article
3. An in-text citation following MLA rules
4. Reasoning as to why the evidence matters
5. Make sure the length of your discussion is one-two paragraphs long

Answer 2

**Discussion Post: The Importance of Sleep for a Positive Mood in Students**

I strongly agree that students need sufficient sleep to be in a good mood. A significant body of research supports the connection between sleep and emotional well-being, particularly in adolescents. As highlighted in the article by Meenaskshi Prabhune, “Most students reported good moods after a night of eight to 10 hours of sleep” (Prabhune). This underscores the critical role that adequate sleep plays in regulating mood and overall mental health during the formative teenage years.

The importance of this evidence cannot be overstated. Adolescents are undergoing significant physical and emotional changes, and they often have to juggle various responsibilities, including schoolwork and social interactions. When teenagers do not get enough sleep, they may experience detrimental effects, such as increased anxiety and irritability. This not only impacts their mood but also their performance in school, leading to a cycle of poor mental health and academic struggles. Therefore, ensuring that students prioritize sleep is essential for their overall well-being and success in both social and academic spheres (Prabhune).

**Works Cited**

Prabhune, Meenaskshi. "For Teens, A Good Mood Depends on Good Sleep." 2017.

Answer 3

**Discussion Post: The Need for Sleep to Maintain a Good Mood in Students**

I firmly believe that students need adequate sleep to maintain a positive mood. Research indicates that there is a direct correlation between sleep and emotional well-being in adolescents. For instance, the article highlights that “Most students reported good moods after a night of eight to 10 hours of sleep” (Prabhune). This statement emphasizes the necessity of sufficient sleep for optimal emotional functioning among teenagers.

The significance of this evidence is profound. Adolescents are navigating a critical developmental phase that involves various stressors, including academic pressures and social dynamics. When students fail to get the recommended amount of sleep, they are more likely to experience mood disturbances such as irritability, anxiety, and even depression. The ability to manage emotions and maintain good interpersonal relationships hinges on proper rest. Therefore, promoting good sleep hygiene among students is essential not only for their mood but also for their overall mental health and academic success (Prabhune).

**Works Cited**

Prabhune, Meenaskshi. "For Teens, A Good Mood Depends on Good Sleep." 2017.