Teenagers are an interesting group of people to study in terms of sleep and sleep needs, as along with the usual concerns around getting enough sleep there is a big biological shift in their sleep patterns as well. This along with an increase in social activities, homework and studying, social media and computer access, as well as peer pressure and 'fitting in', means that sleep can be pushed down the list of priorities when in fact it should be at the top.
Teenagers need an average of nine to nine and half hours of sleep each night. Some need a little less, some a little more. As I mentioned above there is a biological shift that happens at this stage of development that lasts till the early 20's, which makes it difficult for teenagers and young adults to fall asleep before 11 pm, forcing them to go to bed earlier may not actually help them sleep any better or longer.
This of course has a big impact on how much sleep they get as they need to get up in time for school and most schools start between 8 and 9 am. This leads the classic picture of the lazy teenager not waking up in the morning and being ready for school!
The effects of sleep deprivation are similar to those of younger children in terms of both physical and mental performance. A sleep deprived teenager will do less well in their schoolwork and have difficulty remembering information. Staying up late to do last minute revision before an exam is actually less effective than getting a good night's sleep.
Poor sleep patterns will also affect sports performances, and can lead to teenagers being overweight and having problematic skin conditions. Although completely different examples these are areas that are important to teenagers and can have an effect on their confidence and self perception which in turn has a knock on effect with their social skills and interaction.
There is also alarming research showing that the effects of sleep deprivation on driving is similar to the effects of alcohol on driving. This needs to be discussed with any teenager who is learning to drive and pushed as much as the 'Don't drink and drive' message.
Alcohol and cigarettes are also stimulants and can affect sleep and teenage years are when most people start experimenting with these. Large amounts of caffeine will stimulate the brain and affect sleeping patterns; drinking large amounts of energy drinks may initially help a sleep deprived person get through important tests or exams but can have a knock on effect on the following sleep and set up a sleep deprived/caffeine intake cycle that needs to be broken.
Also poor sleep, a lack of interest in social activities and poor school performance can can be a sign of depression and so this is harder to spot amongst the usual teenage 'blues'. If you are concerned about a teenager, then sit down and ask them about their goals and inspirations and if you remain concerned seek medical advice.
The best way to ensure a teenager gets enough sleep is to encourage and develop good sleep habits when they are younger. However it is never to late to try and create good habits and work with the awareness of the shift in the body clock and help them adapt to it instead of trying to fight it
- Encourage a routine where homework is done earlier in the evening and finished well before bedtime
- Also encourage a no-screen time after 10pm. The lights (and the closeness of them) on a computer screen stimulates the receptors at the back of the eyes and blocks the message to the brain that it is night time and to get ready for sleep. TV screens are not as bad as they are watched from a greater distance.
- Record programmes that are on later at night to be watched at other times.
- Make the bedroom a place for sleep and not activity. Remove computers and tv's and have sidelights and dimmer switches to keep the light level low
- Have as much natural light as possible in the morning o help the body wake up. Walking or cycling to school can help with this
- Have different areas in the home for homework, computers and tv's. It is important that the brain associates the bedroom with sleep and not other activities
- Encourage phones to switched off at night and perhaps have an overnight docking/recharge station somewhere else in the home, where ALL the families phones go. This is best started from a younger age
- Set up consistent bedtime and waking times through the week as the brain responds well to this and recognizes the trigger signs for sleep
- Have a good wind down routine for the end of the day - after the screens have been turned off, have a bath, a bedtime snack and reading (for fun) are all good things to help the brain wind-down and prepare for sleep
- Allow time for strategic naps and lie-ins for catching up on sleep on weekends and holidays. Do not nap too close to bedtime and also only allow a couple of hours lie-in, sleeping in till midday will just throw the bodyclock out of kilter
- Look at any out of school activities and monitor how many hours they take each week and is this having an impact on their homework and sleep time. Are strenuous physical activities - sports training etc being done too late in the evening to give the body to relax before sleep
- Keep an open dialogue going about the importance sleep and listen to what the teenager says. It is important that this is more of a discussion of pro's and con's rather than an dictation or rule. Help them feel they have a choice in what is decided
- Ask about a delayed start to school. Schools that have put their start time back an hour have found that teenagers do better in achieving good grades and also that truancy levels are reduced
- Talk to teenagers regularly about their day, how things are going and any concerns they may have so that they are not taking worries and stress to bed with them
These are all great habits and will enable teenagers and young adults to live life to the full.
Sweet dreams
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