Replay chat: What makes the teen brain tick?

According to Dr. Jay Giedd at the National Institute of Mental Health, the teen years are critical years for brain development, and this period of change for our brain has effects into adulthood. Will all this multi-tasking during the teen years make them less able to focus on one thing when they have to? Or do digital distractions make their minds stronger?

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And we all know that it’s difficult for teens to wake up. But new research by pioneering sleep researcher Dr. Mary Carskadon looks at what’s happening in the teen brain while they’re asleep. She found that late adolescents have a reshaping brain chemistry during sleep, requiring them to sleep even more than previous research. During these years, key brain connections are happening in the areas of the brain that deal with decision making.

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

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In a live chat moderated by NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Dr. Giedd and Dr. Carskadon responded to readers' questions about what's really happening inside their teenagers' minds.

See more health reporting from NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams, MSNBC and msnbc.com.