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Teens Don't Sleep And how you can help By Sharon Edry (9/25/00) School's begun. So has the challenge of rousing your kids. One of the starkest shifts between the lazy days of summer and the post-Labor Day rush is when your children - after having slept many post-camp mornings away - start having to make the first bell. Many parents become frustrated as they watch their kids - especially teens, who may no longer have a set bedtime - watch television or surf the internet late into the evening, rather than settling down and catching some shut-eye. A recent study, though, has found that kids aren't necessarily being defiant by staying up till the wee hours. Instead, they may simply be responding to biology - a factor called a "sleep phase delay." The National Sleep Foundation believes that the body's natural, internal clock is geared toward later sleep and waking times in teenagers than in adults and younger children. This may make it hard for your teen to fall asleep before 11 p.m. and even tougher for him or her to crawl out of bed in the morning. Believe it or not, the ideal amount of sleep for an adolescent is 9.2 hours per night, says one of the study's authors, Prof. Amy Wolfson at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. "You don't have to be a mathematical genius to figure out that it's going to be difficult for teens going to sleep at midnight to get up to start school at 7 or 8 a.m.," she says. "Their bodies are calling out for more sleep." In addition to changing body rhythms, teens face other challenges in trying to catch enough nightly winks. Greater academic demands, after-school activities and employment opportunities often arise as kids mature, says Jason Mateika, assistant professor of applied physiology at Teachers College at Columbia University. And a nation of sleep-deprived teens results in more than just yawning and stretching. A number of studies show that a lack of sleep can lead to poor performance in the classroom. Teens may also show signs of irritability, hyperactivity, depression or aggressive behavior. Having a "pillow talk" with your teen about good sleep "hygiene" can help your family deal with the sleep struggle. The National Sleep Foundation offers the following solutions: 1. Chill out before bed. Lay off reading, studying and computer games for an hour before hitting the sheets. 2. Beware of weekends. You might think "catching up" on the weekends really works, but studies show teens are very susceptible to changing schedules. So try not to head to bed more than an hour later on the weekend or wake up more than three hours later. 3. Bright lights, less sleep. Try to avoid bright lights before bed, since they can help restart your internal clock. And get into the sun as soon as possible after waking up - it's better than a cup of coffee. 4. Just say no to Joe. Speaking of coffee, caffeine can make sleep hard to come by. And remember that tea, chocolate, and sodas also have the stimulant. 5. Head to bed at a set time. It might be a long shot, but at least aiming for the same sleep time every night - as early as your teen can fall asleep without difficulty -- is an important part of having healthy sleep habits. You might assume your child will shrug off the notion of sleep deprivation -- after all, late-night studying and pulling all-nighters are part of student lore. But having a serious conversation with your teen about these issues is essential, says Professor Wolfson. "Let your child know that if she doesn't get enough sleep, she's not going to function well not only in school but in sports and other activities as well. Sleep has to become a priority, even if child has to cut back on something else to make that happen."
Sharon Goldman Edry is a New York City-based freelance writer who has written for such publications as Parenting, Child and American Baby
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