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Getting less sleep impacts the brain’s ability to work when problems pop up during the day. Research studies in the last couple of years shows that part of the brain’s emotional center—the amygdala—works 60 percent harder when we don’t get enough sleep. The amygdala is the danger alert part of the brain. When it’s more active, we worry more and we’re grouchy. Professor Matt Walker of University of California, Berkeley, says then there’s less connection to our frontal lobe (logical thought area) and that means no control over our emotions. He calls the amygdala the “accelerator” and the frontal lobe the “brakes”.
Students function best when they have 10 to 12 hours of sleep. Being able to put on the brakes before erupting with anger and frustration helps us to begin to learn problem solving. Making and keeping friends is easier when we are starting to get some control over our emotions. Think about how getting more sleep might change how you view your friend's intentions.
