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  • Examining the Teen Brain and What Makes It Different

    If you have a teenager, it may not have taken you long to notice that they tend to operate a little differently than you and the rest of your family.

    As an adult, you have a schedule and routine. You try to go to bed around the same time each night and wake up around the same time each morning. While your Mondays through Fridays tend to look the same way going to your job or tending to the home, your weekends are still a little more scheduled compared to your teen.

    Your teenager tends to stay up late, watching television, playing video games, or scrolling social media. Since they’re staying up late, it’s extremely difficult for you to wake them up in the morning for school. On weekends, they sleep in and waste the day away.

    While you may chalk up these actions and behaviors to your teen being lazy, that may not be the case. The teen brain is a lot different compared to a fully developed adult brain. Let’s learn more about the teen brain and what makes it different.

    Brain Development

    The teenage years are an important time for brain development. While the brain is fully grown in the early teenage years, the brain doesn’t finish developing and fully maturing until the mid to late 20s.

    The part of the brain that is responsible for making rational decisions, planning, and prioritizing is one of the last parts of the brain to mature. This part of the brain is known as the prefrontal cortex. This late development could be one of the main reasons for your teen making decisions without thinking them through. You may not be able to change how long it takes for this area of the brain to develop, but you can help guide your teen into making better decisions.

    The Stress Response

    Teenagers tend to respond differently to stress compared to adults, as well. Since a teen’s brain is still developing, it’s more prone to certain mental illnesses that are related to stress. This puts teens at a higher risk of developing conditions like anxiety and depression. It’s important to help your teen manage their stress levels with the help of coping mechanisms and techniques.

    The Sleep Schedule

    As a parent, you’re probably concerned with the amount of time that your teen spends in bed. Your teen sleeping more than usual isn’t necessarily a sign of laziness. Sleep is extremely important for people of all ages, but especially so for teenagers. It’s recommended that the average person gets at least eight hours of sleep each night. Teens need around eight to ten hours of sleep each night. Most teenagers don’t get enough sleep, which makes it more challenging for them to do well in school.

    Resiliency

    Even though the teenage years come with a lot of changes and challenges, the teenage brain is extremely resilient. A lot of parents want to try to protect their children from any harm or negative life events, but you can’t prevent them from experiencing challenging days from time to time. It’s a natural part of growing up. These changes and challenges that your teen is going through can be extremely beneficial and even necessary for their development and growth into becoming healthy adults.

    Next Steps

    Even as a parent, you’re not expected to have all the answers in life. If you or your teen are struggling during this time, you’re not alone. The teen years come with a lot of growth and opportunity, but also a lot of changes and challenges. It can be a difficult time to navigate for you and your teen. Reach out today if you’re interested in learning more about how teen therapy can help better manage these changes and find ways to help you and your teen move forward.