According to the CDC, teenagers aged 13-18 should sleep 8 to 10 hours. Data from the 2015 national and state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys show that 7 out of 10 high school students sleep about 6.5 to 7.5 hours. Sleeping is important because teenagers with a low amount of sleep have a higher chance of obesity, injuries, poor mental health (depression, anxiety, low self-esteem), diabetes, and behavior problems. Lack of sleep affects hormones that are crucial to development. These hormones include melatonin, leptin, ghrelin, estrogen, progesterone, TSH, cortisol, and more. Although it may be difficult to have a good sleep schedule because of homework after the after-school activities and school in the morning, some ways to maintain having 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night is having a consistent sleep schedule, limiting time on electronics, taking less naps during the day, exercising more, etc. Sleep reduces stress, lowers risk of health problems, allows energy to be stored, heals injuries and infections, and increases intelligence emotionally. Student-athletes should get a lot of sleep due to the exercise they go through everyday–they need to give their body time to rest so they can have even better athletic and academic performance the next day. All in all, teenagers will be healthier with the preferred sleep schedule of 8 to 10 hours.