Teen sleep deprivation

Teen Sleep

Teen sleep deprivation is widely discussed by parents and health professionals, but what is the importance of sleep for young people? Sleep deprivation studies say that teen sleep patterns and habits are different to children and adults.

The effects of sleep deprivation on teenagers has been a recent topic of public debate in the US and other industrialised countries. The importance of sleep is understood for ensuring that we can think clearly, undertake complex tasks and make the most of each day. Sleep is needed for various cognitive, emotional and physical requirements.

When people get insufficient sleep, including adolescents, the brain becomes desperate to satisfy its need for rest and will cause us to feel drowsy. The brain will lower our alertness and powers of concentration, reduce our short-term memory capacity and learning ability. We will be irritable, find it hard to perform consistently on tasks and lose some control over our behavior.

Researchers have noticed changes in sleep and wake patterns during puberty. These changes add to excessive sleepiness that negatively affects teenagers’ ability to function effectively during the day, and increases their risk of injury.

Scientists believe that these sleep-related problems are the result of conflicts between physical needs for sleep and sleep habits.

Teen sleep pattern changes

Teenagers need at least as much sleep as they did before adolescence – generally, 8.5 to 9.25 hours per night. Daytime sleepiness rises, even when a teenager’s schedule allows for ideal amounts of sleep.

Teenagers’ sleep patterns change towards later times for sleeping and waking. Studies show that the typical high school student has a natural tendency to fall asleep around 11pm.

Sleep habit changes in teens

Many teenagers don’t get enough sleep, especially during the week. Studies show that the average total sleep time during the week drops from 7:42 hours in 13-year-olds to 7:04 hours in 19-year-olds. Only 15% of teenagers report sleeping 8.5 or more hours on school nights, and 26% of students reported sleeping 6.5 hours or less on school nights.

Teenagers have irregular sleep patterns. Their weekday and weekend sleep schedules are very different. One large study showed that weekend sleep across 13-19 year-olds was nearly 2 hours longer than weekday sleep. Also, 91% reported going to sleep after 11pm on weekends, whereas only 40% went to bed after 11pm on school nights.
Irregular sleep times can add to trouble falling asleep or awakening, as well as poor quality sleep.

Effects of teen sleep deprivation

• Increased risk of injury and death - drowsiness and fatigue are a major cause of traffic accidents. Drivers under 25 cause more than half of sleep-related crashes.
• Poor grades and school performance - teens who have academic problems and who are getting C's or below in school, seem to get less sleep, have later bedtimes and irregular sleep schedules compared with students getting higher grades.
• Bad moods - teen sleep deprivation makes it harder to control emotions and behavior. Teens who sleep two or more hours later than their typical weeknight bedtime are more likely to be depressed. Sleep deprivation also makes it harder to stay focussed on a task, to sit still and complete tasks. Some aggressive behaviours have been connected with shorter sleep times and later bedtimes. More use of stimulants - such as caffeine and nicotine.
• Teens who are involved in many activities - school, community activities, jobs and other responsibilities are at greater risk for these effects of sleep loss.

Tips for parents

• Watch out for signs of teen sleep deprivation and sleepiness. Sometimes these are not so obvious. The effects of sleep deprivation include difficulty waking, afternoon and evening irritability, spontaneous naps during quiet times of the day, sleeping for much longer on weekends
• Try to get your teen to stick to age-appropriate bedtimes.
• Talk to your teen about the importance of sleep and their sleep/wake patterns and habits, as well as their levels of sleepiness. Consider how much time they spend doing various activities and how these might affect sleep.
• Provide a home environment that facilitates good sleep - quiet time in the evenings, dim the lights, no loud music, no TV, computer or telephone close to bedtime.
• Encourage your teen to keep a sleep journal for a week or two. This can give immediate information about poor sleep habits and help to measure responses to any changes you make.
• If your teen has good sleep habits and is getting sufficient sleep but is still excessively sleepy during the day, it would be worth consulting a sleep expert.
• Set an example by practising good sleep habits yourself. Pay attention to your body's signals. If you are frequently sleepy during the day, go to bed earlier, take naps or sleep longer at night.