It turns out that, although the teen stereotype has them sleeping weekend mornings away and catching naps on the couch whenever they get the chance, the reality is that teens probably are not getting an adequate number of hours of good sleep. With increases in homework, extracurricular activities, and part-time jobs, it’s difficult for them to get to bed before 11 p.m. Add to that early school start times, the stress to perform well in their studies, social pressures, and hours of internet use, and chronic sleep deprivation may be a real issue that needs a parent’s attention.
Without adequate sleep, a teenager's day-to-day functioning is greatly affected. They may be vulnerable to an increased level of depression, struggle with sleepiness in class, poor concentration, problems with cognition, memory, or understanding, emotion regulation, and impulse control. All of this could lead to issues involving poor decision-making, risky behaviors, and behavior or temperament changes.
Sleep deprivation may also affect their grades. A 1998 study from the College of the Holy Cross and Brown University Medical School, found that students who received lower grades got about 25 minutes less sleep and went to bed 40 minutes later than students who were earning A’s and B’s.
And just to add one more scary scenario, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that drowsiness and fatigue cause more than 100,000 traffic accidents each year, and teens are the drivers in more than half of those crashes.
So how much is enough? Believe it or not, teens need 9 to 9½ hours each night. That’s an hour more than was needed at age 10. The reason? Teens are going through a new stage of cognitive maturation, their brain is developing, and they’re going through physical changes and growth spurts as well.
High school and college-age students may also experience trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or even have some insomnia due to anxiety and the daily stressors they experience in this new stage of their lives. Other causes could include chronic pain from injuries or growth spurts, changes in hormones, or the side effect of medications.
There are several strategies teens can implement into their bedtime routine to help them settle down, calm a racing mind, and hopefully get a good night’s sleep? Here are a few suggestions:
At the end of the day, take 10 minutes and make a to-do list. Doing a short brain dump like this will eliminate the need to hold on to these thoughts overnight and reduce the stress of possibly forgetting something important.
Turn off all screens and allow yourself respite from not only the information overload that comes with internet use, but also blue light that is emitted from them, which has been shown to cause sleep depreivation issues.
Eat a light carbohydrate snack before heading to bed. Avoid high protein or highly processed foods which can actually stimulate the brain by causing a release of norepinephrine. Instead, reach for popcorn or crackers, which releases serotonin, a sleep hormone in your brain.
Once in bed, read a book or listen to a podcast for about 20 minutes. Audio books are great too since you won’t have to turn on a light, and you can rest your eyes.
Consider trying a white noise, or brown noise machine. It may help to create a relaxing environment.
Focus on breathing. Sounds too simple, right? It actually takes some concentration to really focus on your breathing, and that concentration is good because it will direct focus rather than letting the mind wander. Deep, slow breathing can also slow the heart rate, which will help if dealing with anxiety or the stress of the day. Suggestion: try yogic breathing: breathe in through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, gently exhale through the mouth for 8 counts. Just a few of those cycles will calm and soothe.
