중학교 영어 3 (NE능률 김성곤) 연계 글

Last year, a fifteen-year-old named Nahyun often lay in bed with her phone long after the lights were out. She usually fell asleep around midnight, and her alarm rang at 6:30 every school morning. Her vocabulary quiz, which took place every Monday morning, often went badly, although she had studied the night before. So what was going wrong? Part of the answer lies in the work that the brain and body do while we sleep.

Sleep may look like a time of rest, but the brain stays busy all night. While we sleep, the brain forms new connections that help us learn and remember information. In this way, facts and words learned during the day can become long-term memories. Students cutting their sleep short night after night are more likely to have trouble learning.

Sleep matters for the body as well. During deep sleep, the body releases growth hormone, which helps children and teenagers grow. Teenagers sleeping fewer hours than they need may have trouble paying attention in class. They may also feel angry or sad more easily.

How much sleep, then, is enough? In 2016, a panel of sleep experts in the United States reviewed more than 800 studies. The panel's report, which appeared in a medical journal, says that teenagers between 13 and 18 should sleep 8 to 10 hours a day. Getting that much sleep is not easy for many teenagers. Teenagers going through puberty often begin to feel sleepy later at night, which makes early school mornings hard.

Fortunately, a few simple habits can help. Health experts advise going to bed and getting up at about the same times every day, even on weekends. They also suggest keeping the bedroom quiet, cool, and dark. Spending time outdoors in daylight and staying active during the day can help as well. Light coming from a phone or computer screen can keep the brain alert and make it harder to fall asleep.

Nahyun decided to try these habits for a month. Every night, she left her phone in the kitchen, which was at the other end of her family's apartment. By the end of the month, she felt more awake in her morning classes. The hours we spend asleep are some of the busiest hours of the day.