Parents often focus on making sure young children get enough sleep, but not as much for teenagers. Frequently, teens and their parents come to see me due to concerns about excessive tiredness. Inadequate sleep is often found to be the cause.
A 2006 poll by the National Sleep Foundation showed that 75 percent of 12th-graders (as opposed to 16 percent of sixth-graders) receive less than eight hours of sleep per night. One of the objectives of “Healthy People 2020,” goals set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is to increase the percentage of children in ninth through 12th grade who get sufficient sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends more than eight hours per night.
Besides your teen telling you that she is tired, other signs that your teen is not getting enough sleep include having trouble waking up in the morning, napping during the day, sleeping in for more than two hours on weekends and frequently drinking caffeinated beverages.
Why is sleep important? An obvious answer to this question is that, when we do not get enough, we are tired. This tiredness, as well as other changes that occur with lack of sleep, can greatly affect the lives of teenagers. Studies have shown teenagers who slept less than the recommended eight hours per night were more likely to be involved in car crashes, have decreased academic performance, report higher levels of depression and stress, have worse control over chronic illnesses such as asthma, and have a higher risk of obesity.
How can we improve our teenagers’ sleep?
Part of the lack of sleep in this age group is related to puberty. During this time, circadian rhythms shift to make teens want to stay awake later in the evenings and sleep in longer in the mornings. This change in sleep schedule is not possible due to early school start times. Often, teens will sleep in longer on weekends, but this shifts their circadian rhythm further and makes it difficult to fall asleep on weekdays and maintain a good sleep schedule.
Improving sleep hygiene is another effective way to get better sleep. Sleep hygiene consists of habits that help sleep. Using a bed only for sleeping, not for eating, reading or other activities, helps to decrease the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Other behaviors that help improve sleep–but are hard for today’s technology-driven teen–are stopping the use of electronics (cell phones, computers, tablets, televisions, video games, etc.) one to two hours before trying to fall asleep and never using electronics in bed.
Limiting caffeine intake and controlling other medical and psychological conditions will also improve sleep and decrease daytime sleepiness in children.
If you think your child is having trouble sleeping, be sure to discuss this with your pediatrician.
Dr. Brittany Ann Massare is a pediatrician with Penn State Hershey Medical Group.
