For many parents,making sure their children get the right amount of sleep can be stressful.This is especially true during high-pressure times such as exams when students tend to study all night for the next day.Unfortunately,it is often counterproductive(适得其反的)because with fewer hours to sleep,the teen brain doesn't get enough time to lay down what they've studied the night before.

In her groundbreaking book The Teenage Brain,neuroscientist Dr.Frances Jensen explains that bedtime isn't simply a way for the body to relax and recover after working,studying or playing a hard day. It is the glue that allows us not only to recollect our experiences but also to remember everything we've learned that day.Basically the more we learn,the more we need to sleep,which is why a good sleep is of great importance in achieving success at school.

Then how much sleep do teenagers need?There is no magic number for exactly how much sleep teenagers need,but the Austrian Centre for Education in Sleep(ACES)suggests 8 to 10 hours per day for high school adolescents.What happens if they don't get enough sleep?According to ACES,poor sleep will have all sorts of negative effects on teenagers,including rise in blood pressure,mood swings and impatient behaviours.Without adequate sleep the focus and attention drifts making it harder to receive information. The brain can no longer function to deal with information properly and access previously learned information.

So,how can parents help?If you think your child needs more sleep,try making gradual changes to their sleeping habits.Small increases have been shown to be effective in changing sleep patterns.And remember your children are going through a period of their lives when their brains and bodies are going through a lot of changes.Not only is your job to help make changes,it's also to ride the wave with them.It may not be easy,but they will thank you for it eventually.

There are two factors which determine an individual’s intelligence. The first is sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual — the sort of the environment in which he is brought up. If an individual is handicapped (受阻碍) environmentally, it is likely that his brain will stop to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.

The importance of environment in determining an individual’s intelligence can be proved by the identical twins, Peter and John. When the twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster (寄养) homes. Peter was reared by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities. John, however, was educated in the home well-to-do parents who had been to college. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were given tests to measure their intelligence. John’s IQ was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his brother.

The Psychology of Spending

Dr. Thomas Gilovich, psychology professor at Cornell University, has studied the psychology of spending for over 20 years. According to Dr. Gilovich，“We buy things to make us happy, and we succeed, but only for a while. New things are exciting to us at first, but then we adapt to them.” In other words，once the freshness of our newest purchase wears off, we begin looking for something else to buy to make us happy.

Dr. Gilovich found that our satisfaction with possessions fades over time. Yet our happiness over things we've experienced increases. For that reason, he has concluded that we are spending our money on the wrong things. A study out of San Francisco State University agrees. The researeh showed that those people who spent money on experiences instead of possessions were happier. They also thought their money was better invested.

To begin with, activities like a trip, adventure, hobby, etc. tend to bring the participants together and unite them over a shared interest. According to Gilovich, “We consume experiences directly with other people.” As a result, these experiences typically create a positive link and good feelings toward the other person or people.

Besides, your experience shows others who you are and what you are. For example, you might be someone who loves taking cooking classes. More than likely, you'll become known by friends and family as a great cook. They won't know you as someone who owns the latest kitchen equipment.

Lastly, planned experiences are frequently something we look forward to. Then when the moment arrives, if we enjoy the time involved in the activity, we're left with fond memories. These memories will often last a lifetime. Even our worst trips, on many occasions, are later remembered with laughter.

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