EigoPro 準2級 読解 — Teenagers and Sleep Research

Why Teenagers Really Need More Sleep For many years, parents have told their teenagers, "Go to bed earlier!" But new research from Westwood University suggests that the problem is not simply that teens choose to stay up late. Their bodies are actually built to fall asleep later. The Study Scientists studied 600 students between the ages of 13 and 18. Each student wore a small device on the wrist that recorded sleep and brain activity for two weeks. The team found that the average teenager naturally feels sleepy around 11 p.m. — about two hours later than younger children. This is because the body's "sleep clock" shifts during the teenage years. What This Means If school starts at 8 a.m. and a teenager needs at least 9 hours of sleep, going to bed at 9 p.m. sounds reasonable. The problem is that the teenager's brain is simply not ready for sleep until around 11 p.m. As a result, many teens get only 6 or 7 hours, far less than they need. Dr. Hana Park, the lead scientist, says, "Telling teenagers to sleep more is like telling them to grow taller faster. Their biology is in control, not their willpower." Solutions The research team suggests two main changes. First, schools could start lessons one hour later — at 9 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. Trial programs in three high schools showed that students who started later had better grades and reported feeling less stressed. Second, families could reduce bright screen use after 9 p.m., because blue light from phones and computers tricks the brain into staying awake. There is no quick fix, but understanding the science helps. As Dr. Park says, "If we change the schedule, not the teenager, everyone wins."

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