Sleeping is essential for human beings and too little sleep can effect a person’s ability to operate. We would all like to think that most people are good at sleeping, however, over 60% of people in America suffer from a sleeping disorder. Thus, this paper will focus more on teenagers. As a teenager, society knows that we always crave sleep; we eat, sleep, school, possibly work, eat some more, sleep some more, repeat. As a teenager, I know that I am defiantly good at sleeping.

“Helen! Helen!” The bed will call longingly, desperation in its voice. My eyes slowly close as I dream about the sleep entwines itself throughout my body.

“Oh, gosh...” I will moan loudly. I want to sleep so badly. Sleep sounds like a miracle. No matter what I am doing, by 10 o’clock, my bed starts wanting me to climb in. It calls for me to have a “journey of a lifetime.”

“Helen! Helen!” It calls out, a little more faintly. “I need you curled up in me!”

Sleep is so important and right now, I am too tired to care. However, the bed also matters. In fact, any couch, or other bed besides mine, will not do! Why? Because it is not my bed! None of the other beds or couches has loved me the way my bed has. None of the other beds has gone through what my bed has with me!

My bed has been there when I have had to wake up at 5 a.m., or when I have slept till noon. My bed has continuously supported me when I am so tired, I rolled back over and fell asleep; and it laughed when I missed my classes. My bed has watched as I shove my sister off despite her wanting to sleep with me because her room had a spider... My bed has stood by when boyfriends break up. Lastly, my bed did not leave me when puke was sprayed over it like rain dropping onto the ground. My bed is loyal!

I absolutely love my bed because it helps me do one of my many talents--sleeping. However, sleeping is not just about the type of bed. Many people do not know that their level of sleep varies. There are 5 levels; it’s a game! The longer you sleep, the higher level you obtain. Stage one is a 5-10 minute circuit that involves theta waves, or very slow brain waves. Stage two persists of rapid, rhythmic brain movement and lasts twenty minutes; this is the time where the brain dances for joy because it gets to sleep. Stage three is a harder level to achieve because it transforms into a deeper sleep than stage one and two. This stage has very slow brain waves--delta waves. Stage four consists of the famous bed wetting and sleep walking because a person is in an even deeper sleep for about 30 minutes. Stage 5 is a bit more serious; dreams occur here. Stage 5 is a very different type of sleep though; it seduces the mind into rapid eye movement. This rapid eye movement means that brain activity increases but muscles are relaxed. The more sleep a person acquires, the more likely they reach a higher sleeping level.

Many people do not recognize why teenagers enjoy sleeping so much. It is due to a mixture of several things. Teenager’s brains and bodies continue to grow and transform rapidly as they sleep. This means that many teenagers need approximately nine hours compared to an adult’s seven or more hours of sleep. Another contributor is hormones. The hormone melatonin controls the body’s energy level; in other words, it tells the body, “Get up, lazy!” or, “Turn over. It’s too early to get out of bed.” According to campusmidworks.org, being exposed to light (technology in particular) right before one goes to sleep, releases the melatonin hormone which causes a difficult time sleeping. Livestrong.com affirmed that hours of homework, studying, and early morning wake-ups can result in less hours of sleep. In turn, lack of sleep has “been linked to lower GPAs because sleep affects concentration, memory, and the ability to learn.” This suggests that teenagers not only crave sleep, but need more than adults!

Teenagers rightfully have a talent for sleeping. We mentally get exhausted because of the “oh-so-difficult school duties,” which can be self-inflicted. Possibly, our need for sleep is because of the constant job of carrying books back and forth--causing physical exhaustion. It could also be caused by the fact that we continue to grow--upward, outward, and mentally. Yet, that is not the end of the sleep “deprived” teenage life. We enjoy having some sort of social life and sports, which in turn, cause less time for sleep and more for homework. What a sad world we live in where we do not receive enough sleep!

This is why sleeping is so important. Our beds not only call our names when we are doing school, but it longs for us to crawl under the covers and forget about the world! Our beds also know that without sleep, we will not be able to function properly. Oh, what sad creature we teenagers are...we are wasting our “talent” of sleeping.