Therefore, the back of the
brain of an adolescent was more adult-like, while the front of the brain remained more child-like
at any one moment during this developmental window of time.XIV
His findings helped explain why rationality is one of the last things to flourish in teenagers, as it
is the last brain territory to receive sleep’s maturational treatment. Certainly sleep is not the only
factor in the ripening of the brain, but it appears to be a significant one that paves the way to
mature thinking and reasoning ability. Feinberg’s study reminds me of a billboard advertisement I
once saw from a large insurance firm, which read: “Why do most 16-year-olds drive like they’re
missing part of their brain? Because they are.” It takes deep sleep, and developmental time, to
accomplish the neural maturation that plugs this brain “gap” within the frontal lobe. When your
children finally reach their mid-twenties and your car insurance premium drops, you can thank
sleep for the savings.
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