Primary Children's Medical Center Sleep Problems Clinic 588-2630
From Primary Children's Medical Center
Sometime in late puberty, the body secretes the sleep-related hormone melatonin at a different time than it normally does. This changes the circadian rhythms that guide a person's sleep-wake cycle. For instance, if you told your teen to go to bed at 10 pm, she may end up staring at the ceiling until 1 or 2 am waiting to fall asleep.
At about 7:30 pm a teen feels wide awake and fully alert, unlike an adult who is starting to "wind down" and feel sleepier as the evening progresses. The teenager "wind down" time takes place much later.
Do Teens Need More Sleep?
Studies show that the changes taking place in their bodies require more sleep and they may be physically challenged to get up early in the morning. Their internal biological clock may slow down in adolescence. That can account for their not being sleepy until 2 am.
Adolescents need 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep. Children need 10 hours and adults need 8 1/4 hours. They rarely get that much due to early school start time, inability to fall asleep until late at night, work, social life and homework. Parents may need to adjust their child's sleep schedule to allow more sleep. Most teens are chronically sleep deprived and try to catch up on their sleep by sleeping in on the weekends. Ultimately they should go to bed and wake up at the same time. That is considered "good sleep hygiene."
How Does Sleep Deprivation Affect The Teenager?
Sleep deprivation can impair memory and inhibit creativity, making it difficult for sleep deprived students to learn. Teen struggle to learn to deal with stress and control emotion-- sleep deprivation makes it even more difficult. Irritability, lack of self confidence, and mood swings are often common in a teen, but sleep deprivation makes it worse. Depression can result from chronic sleep deprivation. Not enough sleep can endanger their immune system and make them more susceptible to serious illnesses.
What Can Parents Do?
Monitor your child's activities. If he has too much on his schedule, have him choose the most important ones and stick to a reasonable schedule that allows time for homework and adequate rest.
Talk to your PTA about changing school start time. Many high schools have pushed the starting bell as early as 7:15 am. Some Minnesota schools have moved back start times from 7:20 am to 8:30 am. They are reporting better grades and fewer discipline problems.
Sleep Tips For Teens
- Avoid caffeine and nicotine after noon.
- Avoid alcohol. It can disrupt sleep.
- Avoid heavy studying or computer games before bed.
- Don't try to sleep with a computer or tv flickering in the room.
- Avoid bright light in the evening, but open blinds or turn on lights as soon as the morning alarm goes off.
- Sleep in on the weekend, but no more than 2 or 3 hours later than usual awakening time, or it will disrupt a teen's body clock.
