M-STEP Practice Test 6

Audio transcript: Why Teens Need More Sleep

Hi, everyone. I'm Ms. Varga, the school nurse, and I want to talk about something many of you are not getting enough of: sleep. Health experts recommend that teenagers get eight to ten hours of sleep each night. Yet surveys show that most middle and high school students get less than that on school nights.

Part of the reason is biology. During the teen years, the body starts releasing melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy, later in the evening than it did when you were younger. That's why you might not feel tired at nine o'clock anymore. It isn't laziness; it's a real change in your body clock.

But habits matter, too. The light from phones and tablets can delay sleepiness even more, and scrolling keeps your brain active when it should be winding down.

Getting enough sleep isn't just about feeling rested. Sleep helps your brain store what you learned during the day, so it affects your grades. It also affects your mood and even how quickly you react in sports.

Tonight, try one change: put your phone in another room thirty minutes before bed. Your brain will thank you.