There are tiny clusters of neurons that start napping even though the rest of the brain stays awake. These clusters of neurons appear to be power napping while the rest of the brain is actively engaged in the environment.
The longer the brain stays awake, the more power naps it takes leading to
- increased errors in judgment
- poor decisions
- poor regulation of emotions and behavior
- forgetting what we’re saying
When your teenager is overly tired from too much homework, too many after-school activities and too much late-night texting and video game playing, understand that their errors in judgment and angry responses may not be under their control.
While you must never tolerate aggressive or rude behavior, it’s helpful to know that critical parts of their brain may be offline temporarily. The world is way too exciting for teens to turn off!
Claudia
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