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Teen sleep: Why is your teen so tired?
Teen sleep cycles may seem to come from another world. Understand why teen sleep is a challenge — and what you can do to promote better teen sleep.
By Mayo Clinic staffTeens are notorious for staying up late at night and being hard to awaken in the morning. Your teen is probably no exception, but it's not necessarily because he or she is lazy or contrary. This behavior pattern actually has a physical cause — and there are ways to help mesh your teen's sleep schedule with that of the rest of the world.
A teen's internal clock
Everyone has an internal clock that influences body temperature, sleep cycles, appetite and hormonal changes. The biological and psychological processes that follow the cycle of this 24-hour internal clock are called circadian rhythms. Before adolescence, these circadian rhythms direct most children to naturally fall asleep around 8 or 9 p.m. But puberty changes a teen's internal clock, delaying the time he or she starts feeling sleepy — often until 11 p.m. or later. Staying up late to study or socialize can disrupt a teen's internal clock even more.
Too little sleep
Most teens need about nine hours of sleep a night — and sometimes more — to maintain optimal daytime alertness. But few teens actually get that much sleep regularly, thanks to part-time jobs, homework, extracurricular activities, social demands and early-morning classes. More than 90 percent of teens in a recent study reported sleeping less than the recommended nine hours a night. In the same study, 10 percent of teens reported sleeping less than six hours a night.
Big deal? Yes. Irritability aside, sleep deprivation can have serious consequences. Daytime sleepiness makes it difficult to concentrate and learn, or even stay awake in class. Too little sleep may contribute to mood swings and behavioral problems. And sleepy teens who get behind the wheel may cause serious — even deadly — accidents.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Teens and sleep. National Sleep Foundation. Accessed May 6, 2009.
- Sleep drive and your body clock. National Sleep Foundation. Accessed May 6, 2009.
- Moore M, et al. The sleepy adolescent: Causes and consequences of sleepiness in teens. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews. 2008;9:114.
- Millman R. Excessive sleepiness in adolescents and young adults: Causes, consequences, and treatment strategies. Pediatrics. 2005;115:1774.
- Bonin L. Depression in adolescents: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 6, 2009.
- Noland H, et al. Adolescents' sleep behaviors and perceptions of sleep. Journal of School Health. 2009;79:224.
- Roberts RE, et al. Sleepless in adolescence: Prospective data on sleep deprivation, health and functioning. Journal of Adolescence. 2009;In press. Accessed May 6, 2009.
- Kotagal S (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 8, 2009.
- Calamaro CJ, et al. Adolescents living the 24/7 lifestyle: Effects of caffeine and technology on sleep duration and daytime functioning. Pediatrics. 2009;123:e1005.
