guest columnist
Is your teenager getting enough sleep? By Susan Mims Special to WNC Parent
Many parents know the scenario: midnight approaches and their teenager is still awake, despite the fact that getting ready for school means waking before sunrise. Between homework, part-time jobs, after school activities and distractions from technology, many teens are not getting the sleep they need to succeed in school or even roll out of bed in the morning. Many adolescents (and their parents) often don’t realize how important sleep is for a teenager’s development. Crucial body functions and brain activity occur during slumber. Sleep is fuel for the brain, and teen-
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agers need a large reserve tank to get them through the day. Experts say that youth between the ages of 12 and 18 need approximately nine hours of sleep per day; however, they rarely get that amount. Lack of sufficient sleep can lead to problems with grades, mood and memory. A drowsy teen may have trouble concentrating, which can make it difficult to do well in school. Sleep is physically restorative, so too little sleep can also result in weight issues, heart disease and diabetes, even in teenage years. Studies have shown that sleepy teens have more car accidents and are more likely to be obese, depressed and anxious than those who get enough sleep. Several factors contribute to sleep problems in teenagers. For example, the biological clocks of teenagers reset during puberty. In up to 15 percent of adolescents, the body’s inner clock
gradually shifts to a delayed time that causes them to feel naturally alert at night. Teens may not begin to feel sleepy until past midnight, and instead of waking up at 6 a.m., their bodies will want to sleep until 9 a.m. Overstimulation from technology is another reason some teenagers may be sleep deprived. Many teens spend hours on smartphones, computers and video games, sending text messages, interacting on social networking sites, playing games, listening to music and watching videos. A recent study conducted by researchers at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., found that two hours of exposure to light from electronic displays suppresses melatonin by 22 percent. In other words, the light from phone and computer screens stimulates the brain and tricks the body into thinking it should be in daytime-alert mode.
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