Teens And Sleep – Habits And Patterns:
Teenage years are a critical time for your child. Chances are, he will undergo a spurt in growth and development. Thus, proper sleep becomes critical to his growth. However, your teen may exhibit some discrepancies in his sleeping patterns, which can be a cause for concern.
Here are some common patterns and sleeping habits of teenagers that you may notice:
He sleeps less, sometimes less than 5-6 hours.
Once it is bed time, he spends time on the screen, completes school work, studies, listens to music, calls his friends, etc. He does everything except sleep
The lack of sleep increases his lethargy, and he gets tired quite easily.
Teenage academic pressure can also affect your teen’s sleeping pattern. The extra stress can end up interfering and reducing his sleep time. Academic pressure is a common reason for sleep deprivation and inadequate hours of sleep in your teen.
Coffee helps many-a-teen concentrate on academic work. However, it is a stimulant that keeps the mind awake. Coffee has a long half-life and can lead to insomnia
Types Of Sleep Disorders In Teens:
Some of the common sleep disorders that can affect teens include:
Insomnia
Sleep apnea
Movement disorders such as restless leg syndrome
Snoring
Circadian rhythm disorders
Narcolepsy
Sleepwalking
Insufficient sleep
Bedwetting
Common Problems That Affect Teens Due To A Lack Of Sleep:
No matter how many times we say it, sleep is extremely crucial. In case your teen doesn’t get enough sleep, here are some issues that can affect his health and behavior:
He may find it difficult to concentrate, learn and listen properly. A lack of sleep can also affect his problem-solving skills. Once the sleep deprivation sets in, he may even forget important information like someone’s name, a phone number, even a home phone number, school assignments, important dates and more.
He misplaces items and does not remember where he kept them.
Sleeping for fewer hours or not having enough sleep also makes your teen prone to acne breakouts. Teenage signals the onset of acne and the skin conditions can affect his confidence levels and depress him.
Sleep disturbance or lack of adequate sleep can make him irritable and unduly stressed. In such a situation, he may turn aggressive, sometimes without even realizing it. He yells at others, disrespects you and seems frustrated. He might get into potentially illegal and dangerous situations like using substances or drinking and driving.
The moodiness or inappropriate behavior may also continue in school, and he could start fights with others, be rude to the teachers and staff.
Sleep disorders in teens such as lack of proper hours of sleep disturbed sleep or the inability to fall asleep can lead to further health issues. It can cause health scares like heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, migraine and more.
Sleep deprivation can lead to eating disorders as well, and you may notice your teen’s eating habits going through a sudden change or turn extreme. He feels hungry at odd hours, or he eats less than or more than normal. It could be a case of emotional eating, where he may be trying to use food as a means of comfort and distraction. In such a case, he runs the risk of becoming obese. The other scenario is that he may turn anorexic and try to avoid meals at all times. He may even feel too tired to sit through an entire meal. He may start having body image issues and might even contract eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia. On the other hand, he could start depending on junk food, which can lead to all sorts of health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease.
Lack of sleep can most commonly result in depression. He may lose interest in his favorite activities. He will try and shirk company, or not meet friends and avoid socializing. He may even lose interest in eating and eat little.
If he has started driving, a lack of sleep could be serious and sometimes even a fatal condition. Most teen accidents that involve an automobile happen when a teen drives without paying full attention. Not being able to concentrate is a result of lack of sleep, and mixed with driving, it can have a disastrous result
Causes Of Sleep Disorders In Teens:
Here we list some common causes of teen sleep disorders:
1. Hormonal Time Shift:
Sometimes, certain puberty hormones modify your teen’s sleep cycle by an hour or two and can lead to oversleeping for one or two hours. However, early morning classes or school affects her sleep and can cause chronic sleep deprivation.
2. Hectic After-School Activities:
Various after-school activities, such as sports, part-time work, homework, and social commitments, cut down a teen’s sleeping time and often lead to sleep disorder.
3. Leisure Activities:
Spending time at night watching television, surfing the web, playing computer games, and chatting can keep her awake for hours. Various leisure activities can hamper a teen’s sleep substantially.
4. Light Exposure:
Light ray cues the human brain to be awake. At night, lights from television, computers, laptops, and mobile devices prevent sufficient production of melatonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, which handles sleep.
5. Sleep Disorders:
Certain sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, can adversely affect your teen’s sleep.
Symptoms Of Sleep Disorders In Teens:
What are the signs of sleep disorders in teens? Here is a list of teenage sleep problems.
Difficulty to have sound sleep at night or difficulty to sleep again after waking up during the night.
Light, fragmented sleep.
Fatigue during the daytime.
Feeling sleepy during the day.
Irritability during the day.
Difficulty to stay awake while reading or watching television.
Difficulty to concentrate.
Facing trouble to control emotions.
Having a nap several times daily.
The need of caffeinated beverages to keep yourself awake
