As part of National Sleep Awareness month, we are taking a deep dive into the topic of teenagers and sleep. Why do teenagers act the way they do? How much sleep do they really need? And what are the consequences of not getting enough of it? As you may suspect, good sleep is linked to better emotional health and decision-making, which in turn reduces risk-taking behaviors. Here’s what you need to know about the teenage brain and sleep.
Neuroscientists study the brain and how it impacts our behavior. Interestingly, they have found that teenagers have a different internal clock than adults. In her book “The Teenage Brain”, neuroscientist Frances E. Jenson refers to teens as “night owls”. One clear evidence of that phenomenon is that the teenage brain releases the critical sleep hormone melatonin two hours later than adult brains. As a result, teenagers tend to still feel perfectly wired late at night, while adults tend to turn in around 10:00 PM. However, this shift in the internal clock is temporary. It should go back to normal once the teenage stage is over. In the meantime, this finding is relevant when it comes to explaining teenagers’ behaviors and why they seem to be so counterproductive at times. Apart from this internal clock finding, Jenson shares additional insights on the topic of teenagers and sleep.
Surprisingly, teenagers actually need more sleep than adults or younger children. This is because teenagers go through puberty, which involves a lot of growth and development. On top of that, they also spend most of their time learning. And when it comes to learning, neuroscientists are in agreement: the more we learn and the more sleep we need. Sleep not only helps us rest physically, but it also allows us to process the information that we acquire during the day, encoding it in our long-term memory during sleep. Taking these two reasons into consideration, studies have measured that teenagers need on average 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep per night. In reality, we see that only about 15% of them get that amount during the week. On the weekends, however, Jenson points out that things go differently. Without an artificial alarm to wake them up, teenagers tend to sleep in later, according to their biological needs.
As we mentioned above, sleep is necessary for learning and memory. In practice, this means that when teenagers get enough sleep, they are more likely to perform better academically. Likewise, sleep is crucial for not only remembering information but also prioritizing it. This prioritization results in better critical thinking and decision-making. Unfortunately, when teenagers don’t get the right amount of resting sleep, many different negative consequences ensue.
As a parent, it can be difficult to see your teenager struggle with sleep habits. Here are some tips you can try to help your student get better sleep:
As we have seen, sleep affects teenagers’ physical and emotional health in profound ways. In this regard, at Pure Freedom, we promote healthy routines and habits, as well as digital boundaries with all of our students.
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Written by Elodie Takamiya.
https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body
https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-link-between-sleep-and-depression-5093051