How does the text develop the idea that getting less sleep likely has a negative impact on teenagers’ mental health?

commonlit- TEENAGERS WHO DON’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP AT HIGHER RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

The text makes the assertion that there is a link between lack of sleep in teenagers and bad mental health by citing a research study conducted on high-school students. It then backs up this claim with existing scientific information.

The book begins by stating that teenagers should get roughly nine hours of sleep per night. However, only 3% of participating students said they received that much sleep, while 20% said they got five hours or less on weekday nights, with the average being 6.5 hours.

The study then goes on to say that when teen sleep hours are compared to reports of sorrow, the results show that.

This assertion is supported by scientific understanding regarding brain functioning, such as the fact that sleep deprivation reduces brain function, executive function, self-control, and judgement.

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The text uses a research study, carried out on high-school students, to make the claim that there is a relationship between lack of sleep in teenagers and poor mental health. It then uses existing scientific knowledge to back up this claim.

Explanation:

The text starts by saying that a healthy amount of sleep for teenagers is about nine hours a night. However only 3 percent of students that participated in the research study reported getting that amount, and 20 percent of them stated that they got five hours or less with the average amount reported as 6.5 hours every weekday night.

So the text has now told us the statistics in terms of average sleep patterns for those students and uses those results to generalise about teenagers. The research then goes on to make the claim that when comparing teenage hours of sleep to reports of feelings of sadness and negativity, hopelessness, substance abuse and ending one’s life there were significant correlations, meaning that there was a cause and effect relationship occurring. In other words lack of sleep can lead to poor mental health.

This claim is backed up by scientific knowledge we already know about brain functioning for example that sleep deficits reduce brain function, executive function, self-control and judgment.