Globally, teens are facing an alarming new health crisis, and most parents are unaware.  It’s not vapingsocial media, or screen addiction.

It’s sleep deprivation.

Researchers have reviewed over 800 studies to propose optimal teen sleep guidelines, and found teens between 13-18 years old need 8-10 hours of sleep in  24 hours, REGULARLY, to attain optimal health.  

However, worldwide 53% of teens get less than 8 hours of sleep.

Teens with less than 8 hours of sleep a night have increased risk for suicide, being overweight, higher rates of injury, poor sustained attention, and lower academic performance.

Teens with less than 6 hours of sleep a night report riskier driving, more sensation seeking, and greater drug and alcohol intake, and have an increased risk for vehicle crashes.  

Why does it matter how much sleep my teen gets? 

  • Well rested teens make better food choices. Tiredness makes anyone more likely to overeat or choose unhealthy foods like sweets, carbs, and fried foods.
  • Well rested teens manage stress better, since teen’s brains are ill-equipped as it is for the amounts of stress they face in modern life.
  • Staying up late during the week and “catching up” on the weekends has been proven to be harmful to health, affecting biological clocks and causing long term damage.
  • Sleep deprivation inhibits the ability to learn, focus, and remember information.  
  • Lack of sleep can increase acne or other skin issues.
  • Tiredness can lead to aggressiveness, impatience, and inappropriate behavior such as lashing out or overreacting.  
  • The effects of alcohol are heightened when a person is tired.  I know we don’t want to believe any of our teens consume alcohol, but it can happen.  And if they are also sleep deprived, this is even more of a recipe for disaster.
  • Not enough sleep can weaken the immune system and contribute to illness.
  • Teen sleep deprivation has been proven to increase the use of caffeine and nicotine.  These are HUGE issues for teens now, where some studies indicate over 50% of teens have tried or currently are vaping, and kids are staying awake with dangerous energy drinks that can easily cause caffeine overload, with potentially life threatening cardiovascular and neurological consequences, even death.
  • Driving while tired puts you in a state of impairment that’s equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% (past the legal limit in most states). Drowsy driving causes over 100,000 crashes each year, and when you add that these are often new, inexperienced, and distracted drivers, the probabilities go up for teens.

 

So what should parents do?

  • TALK TO YOUR TEENS.  Discuss what they can improve in their sleep habits, and help them follow through.
  • A long nap or one late in the evening interferes with the sleep cycle, but a short nap partway through the day can be helpful.
  • Create a sleep haven in their room.  Black-out curtains, eyeshades, ear plugs, weighted blankets, white noise machines, no screens or tv if possible, can all help your teen associate their room more with sleeping.
  • Let natural light wake up your teen, which will train their body to start reacting to normal wake up times.  
  • Taking pills to sleep, or pills to wake up, is not a good path for your teen to head down.  You never know when a peer will offer a stimulant drug to stay awake, or suggest they use benadryl if they can’t sleep.  Be sure they know you are not okay with these approaches, and definitely don’t enable them or suggest them!
  • Talk to them about caffeine.  Caffeine can stay in the body for up to 8 hours.  A general rule of thumb regardless of age is no caffeine after 3 pm. 
  • Warn them about ENERGY DRINKS.  In 2016, a sixteen year old boy lost his life after he drank an energy drink, a soda, and a latte within a few hours of each other- all drinks that are regularly consumed by and marketed to teens, and that do not carry warning labels.   The American Academy of Pediatrics states that energy drinks “should never be consumed by children and adolescents.” Never
  • Be sure your teen balances work and sleep.  They may need to work less, or rearrange their schedule, or find a new job that works better for their schedule.  
  • Give your kids a bedtime and wake up time, and stick to it.  Try to come close to this on the weekends as well. The chart below shows the recommended hours of sleep your teen needs nightly.  It might seem ridiculous to mandate a bedtime for a teen who is driving and earning their own wage, but it is so beneficial to their health and happiness that you really should stick to your guns on this one.
  • Eating, drinking, and exercising even a few hours before bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.  Tough order when your kid plays sports in the evening, or eats a snack when they get in late, but you should still strive to avoid these things when possible.
  • Try to avoid the tv, computer, and phone in the hour before bed.  This won’t always be possible, but can really help with falling asleep.
  • Establish a bedtime routine.  Sleep experts recommend it for people of all ages, so it definitely works.  Showering, reading, light bedtime yoga stretching, journaling, or a small glass of warm milk are all things that can trigger your brain for sleep.
  • Keeping a journal or post it pad next to bed is helpful for anyone who can’t fall asleep due to ruminating, planning, and worrying.  They can jot down things as they think of them, and won’t forget anything! 
  • Make them plug in their devices downstairs or in your room.  We have a “No Devices Upstairs” rule and a central charging station downstairs for our family.  We also use parental controls so they can’t text or use media on their phones after a certain time.  If you don’t already do this, here’s what you will hear if you try to implement it: “But I NEED my phone for the alarm!!” Buy an alarm clock. Teach them to use it.  “But I NEED my phone for music to help me fall asleep!!” Buy them an actual CD player or a wireless speaker.  Be sure laptops and iPads, and really anything they could communicate on, leave the room as well. If they can’t text, they’ll chat online.  Guaranteed. Stay strong.  Other kids WILL be texting your kid all hours of the night, and your kid may not always make the best choices about how to handle this.  So eliminate the temptation, while communicating with them why you are doing this.  
Image courtesy of Heather Cox

What other tips would you suggest for helping your teen get more sleep? 

 

 

 

 

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