Sleep is vital for people of any age. For teens, though, tremendous mental, physical, social and emotional development requires an appropriate amount of high-quality sleep.
Both the National Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine agree teens need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night. Getting this recommended amount of sleep can help them maintain their physical health, emotional well-being and school performance.
Data from four national surveys conducted from 2007 to 2013, however, found that nearly 69% of American high school students got seven or fewer hours of sleep per night.
That’s because teens face numerous challenges to getting consistent, restorative sleep. Recognizing those challenges can help teens and their parents make a plan so they get the sleep they need.
Among the challenges is the fact that there is a strong tendency among teens toward being a “night owl,” or staying up later at night and sleeping longer into the morning.
Experts believe this is the result of a two-fold biological impulse affecting the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle of teens. First, teens have a sleep drive that builds more slowly, which means they don’t start to feel tired until later in the evening. Second, the body waits longer to start producing melatonin, which is the hormone that helps promote sleep.
If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 or 9 a.m., but school start times in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning. Because of the biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle, many teens simply aren’t able to fall asleep early enough to get eight or more hours of sleep and still arrive at school on time and fully awake.
In addition, teens may stay up late during the week to finish homework or during the weekend when hanging out with friends, both of which can reinforce their night owl schedule. With reduced sleep on weekdays, teens may try to catch up by sleeping in on the weekend, but this may exacerbate their delayed sleep schedule and inconsistent nightly rest.
Screen time late into the evening can also contribute to sleep disturbances. Using these back-lit devices can keep teens’ brains wired, and incoming notifications can cause disrupted and fragmented sleep. Evidence also points to suppressed melatonin production from exposure to the blue light from cell phones and related devices.
So, how can parents help teens get better sleep?
Because surveys indicate that many parents don’t realize their children are having sleeping problems, a good first step is for parents to ask their teenage children about their sleep.
Another avenue for parents is advocating for later start times with their local school district. A number of districts have experimented with delayed starts and found beneficial results as measured by attendance and academic performance.
Parents can also work with their teens to avoid overscheduling and commitments that can generate stress and trade off with adequate time for sleep.
Teens who are having sleep problems should start by talking with their doctor about how much sleep they are getting and how it impacts their daily life. Their pediatrician can work to identify any underlying causes and craft the most appropriate and tailored treatment.
A beneficial step is for teens to review and improve their sleep hygiene which includes their sleep environment and habits.
Some tips that can help in this process include: