Is sleep important? The answer is yes, more important than you might imagine. However, not everyone needs the same amount. The amount of sleep needed depends on the person's age. Newborns typically need about 16 hours a day, while teenagers need about nine hours on average. Most adults need about seven to eight hours (“Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep”). How much someone sleeps is very important. Not getting enough sleep can cause a lot of dysfunction during the day. Sleep loss causes mental, emotional and physical effects, but there are ways to prevent them. While the number of hours varies from person to person, the mental and emotional effects harm everyone. Lack of sleep affects the brain's processing abilities and makes it more difficult to complete tasks. There are many jobs where people have to perform difficult and challenging tasks that require full attention and awareness. When your brain doesn't get enough sleep it has to work harder to compensate for tiredness. The brain will not be able to perform tasks as efficiently as it normally does. Smith, Robinson and Sega of HelpGuide.org state that "sleep deprivation can have the same effect as being drunk." This means that there is a greater likelihood of accidents occurring both on the road and at work. As a result, sleep deprivation is harmful to observers and the brain. Lack of sleep also affects mood and ability to learn. Learning is an important part of the functioning of society. Without learning, whether through trial and error or teaching, the world would be stuck in an endless cycle of no change. Learning is vital for society to progress. Learning becomes more difficult because it affects attention, vigilance, awareness... center of paper...ss." Ed. James Beckerman. WebMD. Np, 13 February 2014. Web. 7 May 2014. " Sleep and Disease Risk." Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, December 18, 2007. Web, May 7, 2014. "Centers for Sleep Disease Control and Prevention," Np. Web. May 7, 2014. .Smith, Melinda, MA, Lawerence Robinson, and Robert Segal, MA "How Much Sleep Do You Need?" Dangerous Side Effects of Lack of Sleep. MDhelath.com. Np, 8 May 2014. Web. 8 May 2014. .