Central question: Why is sleep important for young adolescents? Sleep is a basic need for everyone who needs sleep. Sleep is as important as eating and drinking fluids. But it's teenagers who don't get enough sleep at night. There is evidence that adolescents sleep fewer hours than any other age group. We see teenagers sleeping about five hours or less each night. Lack of sleep can affect many things in a negative way. Lack of sleep can affect things like the ability to learn, listen, pay attention, and drive. It can also affect a person's mental health and physical health. Sleep is important for many reasons. Nothing can replace a good night's sleep, not even pills or vitamins. We all have an internal body clock that makes us sleepy throughout the day. Our internal biological clock controls our body’s “circadian rhythms.” These “circadian rhythms” allow our body to know when we are sleepy and also tell us when we suppose we are awake. (UCLA) Our bodies know when it's time to get ready for bed, a hormone called melatonin is released when it's dark outside, causing our bodies to feel tired. (Mann, Denise) It is very important to listen to our body. This is something most teenagers don't do. During the day, a compound called adenosine builds up in our body and when we fall asleep, our body breaks down this adenosine that has built up throughout the day. Adenosine is a nucleoside found naturally in all cells of the body. Chemically, it is 6-amino-9-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-9-H-purine (Mandal). Adenosine is an important sleep hormone. As soon as we wake up, adenosine builds up in our brain. During the day, as the hours pass, it continues to accumulate...... middle of paper ....... You should not skimp on sleep. Np, and Web. February 26, 2014. Featured article, Denise MannWebMD. “Lack of sleep and the immune system”. WebMD. WebMD and Web. February 25, 2014. "ADOLESCENTS, SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND AUTOMOTIVE ACCIDENTS. Np, nd Web. February 26, 2014 (Farm Bureau News)Feature, Camille PeriWebMD. "10 Surprising Effects of Lack of Sleep." WebMD. WebMD, May 8 0000 . Web. February 25, 2014. “Teenagers and Sleep.” Sleep for Teenagers, nd Web February 26, 2014. “Why Teenagers Really Need an Extra Hour in Bed.” -what makes you sleep? - NHLBI, Np, nd Web. February 26, 2014. "Common sleep problems." KidsHealth - the most visited children's health site, January 1, 2011. Web. March 8, 2014. "Adenosine - What is adenosine - What is adenosine?, March 9.. 2014.