Teen Sleep Facts

What are the Facts about Teen Sleep?

The facts about teen sleep are:

• Biological sleep patterns alter toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence because the teens cannot be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm.
• Teens need about 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night to function best. Most teens do not get enough sleep.
• Many teens suffer from sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea.
• Teens tend to have uneven sleep patterns across the week because they typically stay up late and sleep late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and upset the quality of their sleep.

Why Do Teens Have Trouble Sleeping?

Teens need 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night. During teenage, the body’s circadian rhythm is reset, telling a teen to fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning.

Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleeping and waking patterns is produced later at night in teens than it is for kids and adults, making it harder for teens to fall asleep and this alters the circadian rhythm. This phenomenon is called delayed sleep phase syndrome and it is common in most of the teens.

Change in the body clock is not the only reason for teens losing sleep but many teens have insomnia. The most common cause of insomnia is stress.

But there are other things which can lead to insomnia, including physical discomfort such as pain or headache, emotional problems such as family problems or relationship difficulties, and even sleeping environment such as a room that’s too hot, cold, or noisy.

It’s common for everyone to have insomnia. But if insomnia lasts for a month or longer with no relief, then it may be considered as chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia can be caused by problems like depression. People with chronic insomnia can often get help for their condition.

What can parents do about their teen sleep?

Some suggestions to parents for encouraging adequate sleep patterns for their teen sleep:

• Set a regular a bedtime: Set a regular bedtime and ask your teen to stick to it. They should not alter their schedule even on the weekends. They should go to the bed at the same time everyday and should wake up in the morning at the same time regularly.
• Promote a healthy lifestyle: This includes avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine after school and making the bedroom conducive to sleep. All these can disturb sleep.
• Make the bedroom bright in the morning and dark at night: Body’s internal clock recognizes night and day. Every night, the room should be made darker as it indicates the brain to go to sleep. Bright light in the morning tells their brain when to wake up.
• Nap at daytime: A nap in the daytime of an hour or less right after school can help a teen remain alert over the next six to eight hours. Avoid naps in the daytime as they can interfere with nighttime sleep.
• Do something relaxing and avoid stimulations: Ask your teen to relax by listening to music or by doing meditation. Avoid playing computer games, talking with a friend or studying within one hour of bedtime. The television can also disrupt the sleep because the light can affect the eyes of your teen.
• Observe how much sleep your teen needs: If your teen is waking up tired, he probably isn’t getting enough sleep.

Sleep is important for good health and necessary for doing well in school and staying safe on the road.