"Inside The Teenage Brain"

It is a misconception that after the age of three, only small amounts of brain production occur.  During the teenage years is when most brain development is being done, since first being born.  There is a connection of development in the brain between babies and teenagers.  Dr. Jay Giedd discovered an unexpected growth spurt in the brain behind the forehead.  In this area there is an overproduction of cells just before puberty, which is similar to the process that happens during the time in the womb.  Both babies and teenagers experience substantial changes in brain development at a rapid pace.  At age six, the brain is 95 percent of its adult size, while the "thinking part" is still growing.

A study conducted showed the differences between a teenager brain and an adult brain and how they responded to a series of pictures.  This showed that teenagers were not able to react correctly to feelings of the adult face.  It also concluded that teenagers use a different part of the brain to assess emotions than adults.

An important part of teenagers is the amount of sleep that they get every night.  Dr. Mary Carskadon suggested that most teens get an average of seven hours of sleep, when really they need nine and a quarter hours of sleep.  She used the phrase that most teenagers "start the day with an empty tank", because they do not get enough sleep.  The amount of sleep affects teenagers mood, ability to think, and the ability to perform and react.  Some studies find that students are more alert in class when the starting time for school is later than usual.