The Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep for Teens or Young Adults

Eight to ten hours per night. That’s the amount of recommended nightly sleep that both the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggest teens and young adults receive each night on mattresses in San Diego. Conversely, the same organizations recommend that adults get an average of seven hours of sleep each night.

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Why is there a discrepancy in sleep recommendations between teenagers and adults, especially when you might initially think that teens may have more energy and therefore require less sleep to function at their best? We’ll get into it in this blog post. 

Why Sleep is Important for Young Adults

Though sleep is important for people of all ages, it’s especially essential for teenagers and young adults. That’s because this age group is still growing and developing — and quality sleep helps fuel this growth and development. In fact, when it comes to this demographic, a consistent quality night of sleep helps with brain function and academics, emotional health, and physical development. Here’s a look at how sleep plays a role in all of these aforementioned categories:

Brain Function and Academics

There’s a reason why teachers and professors always advise students to get a good night of sleep the night before a big test. It’s because a quality night of sleep on your mattress in San Diego helps to promote attention, memory, and critical thinking. Those who don’t get a consistent amount of quality sleep are more likely to struggle in school and have difficulty concentrating. 

Furthermore, quality sleep can also help improve brain functionality and development of the frontal lobe, which is responsible for helping to control impulsive behavior. It’s not unreasonable to say that getting the nightly recommended amount of sleep can lead to overall better decision-making. 

Emotional Health

Poor sleep has a direct effect on mood and emotional wellbeing. A poor night’s sleep, and teens — or anyone, really — are likely to be irritable and moody. Prolonged sleep deprivation can also lead to negative emotional development, which can lead to a greater likelihood of developing other mental health issues, like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. 

Physical Development

Like we said in the intro, a good night’s sleep doesn’t just rejuvenate the mind, but the body as well. And during adolescence, when the body is growing and developing at a rapid pace, sleep is important to help regulate hormones, drive the immune system, and aid in muscle recovery. Inadequate sleep can lead to issues with metabolism, which can mean an enhanced risk of diabetes and heart issues.

Do Teens Get Enough Sleep?

Unfortunately, studies show that about 45 percent of teens and young adults are getting less than eight hours of sleep at night — and there’s data that suggests this problem may be getting universally worse. Surveys conducted over a six-year period from 2007-2013 indicate that nearly 70 percent of high school students are getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night, and about 24 percent of young adults have insomnia.

What’s the reason behind this data? It’s likely a variety of things, such as early school start times, electronics usage, undiagnosed disorders, and more. 

Contact Us Today

There are several things that teenagers and young adults can do to ensure they’re getting better sleep, including creating a nighttime routine, putting away electronics well before bed, and using white noise to help relax. But not to be overlooked is a quality, comfortable mattress as well. Contact our San Diego mattress firm today to learn more about the importance of a good night’s sleep for your teenager or young adult. Our mattresses at Mattress Sale Liquidators are among the highest quality in Southern California. Contact Mattress Sale Liquidators today.