The Importance of Good Sleep for Teens

The teen years are a time of tremendous physical growth, emotional changes, and vital brain development. Teens need 8-10 hours of sleep nightly to support this, but often fall short for multiple reasons. There are stressors like social challenges and academic pressure.  Many teens are juggling school, sports and extracurricular activities, and perhaps a job. Teens’ circadian rhythm (the internal 24-hour cycle) shifts to about 2 hours later, which can make it hard to fall asleep before 11 PM, and then difficult to get up early for school. No wonder they’re tired!

Less than 20% of teens get the recommended amount of ‘good’ sleep (meaning uninterrupted and refreshing sleep) consistently. Up to 40% of teens report daytime sleepiness and falling asleep without intending to- be it during history class or while driving. Especially relevant for young drivers, teens who get less than 8 hours of sleep nightly are at considerably higher risk of crashing.

Smartphones interfere with sleep in many ways. Many teens text and are on their phones throughout the night. Ideally, phones are out of the bedroom at night, but if this seems unrealistic, putting the phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode and silencing it helps. Avoiding screens in general and phones in particular for the hour before bedtime is known to improve sleep. Smartphone social media apps can increase anxiety and depression which can interfere with falling asleep and staying asleep. 

Recent research published by the National Sleep Foundation showed that adequate sleep for teens is important for mental health, focus, resilience, cognition, and school performance. Sleep habits as teens can have far-reaching effects on later life including cardiovascular health and risk of chronic disease.

Suggest the following steps to your teen in order to improve their sleep and decrease their level of fatigue: 

• Light: Open curtains or shades first thing in the morning which will help with feeling more alert and awake. Getting outside in natural light is even better. 
• Routine: Have a consistent bedtime routine, “powering off” devices including phones for the hour before bed. Instead, try a calming activity like reading or meditation. The bedroom should be quiet and dark. Resist the temptation to ‘sleep in’ on weekends, or at least not more than 2 hours later than the weekday wake-up time. Napping interferes with nighttime sleep, but if occasionally unavoidable, limit naps to 30 minutes.
• Exercise: Being active during the day promotes deep nighttime sleep, whether it’s organized sports or just walking, doing yoga, etc. Keep exercise light right before bed.
• Nutrition: Regular meals with good nutrition are important to sleep as well as overall health. Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, and don’t eat late at night. 

If your teen’s sleep is not improving with the above suggestions, or there if is a concern of depression, illness, or ongoing fatigue, reach out to their health care provider. 

Resource

Teen Sleep Toolkit: https://www.thensf.org/teen-sleep-toolkit/