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Teenagers and sleep: Why nine hours really matter

 



Imagine this scenario – your teenager goes to a party at the next-door neighbour’s and doesn’t get in until 2am.  Unfortunately, the next morning you are all committed to helping your sister move house and must be there at 8am.  We all know how this plays out…. and it’s not fun.  Sleep deprived teenagers (and humans generally) do not function well.

It is now widely accepted that our teens need nine hours sleep a night.  It is also widely accepted that a large majority of teens are not getting anywhere close to nine hours sleep.  This is happening for a multitude of reasons.  We live in a culture that does not value sleep.  It is often perceived as the opposite of productivity and as a society this is what we privilege.  Slogans like “I can sleep when I am dead” and subtle (or not so subtle) competition about who worked the longest hours are everywhere.  And this is before we even begin to talk about screens and the very significant increase in sleep deprivation following the introduction of the smart phone.  Furthermore, when we hit adolescence our biology around sleep changes.  Specifically, melatonin, the hormone that makes us feel sleepy, is released a whole two hours later.  This means that our teenagers are generally not feeling sleepy until 11 pm.  With their biology dictating a later sleep time but society requiring an early start time many of our teens are living their lives in a sleep deprived state.  

And this really matters….

·       When teens are sleep deprived, their amygdala, the part of their brain responsible for their FFF response, is much more reactive.  Sleep deprived teens will experience more intense reactions and will stay in a hyperaroused state for longer

·       Without anything else in the mix being consistently sleep deprived increases depressive symptoms in teenagers    

·       Even losing one hour of sleep (so sleeping 8 instead of 9 hours) reduces our teens ability to remember, to problem solve, to think outside the box

·       Lack of sleep increases impulsivity and risk taking, something that is already elevated in our teens due to the changes in their frontal lobes – less sleep means even less inhabitation

 

So, what is the solution…

Developmentally our teens are programmed for independence so it can feel difficult to support behaviour change.   But this does not mean it is not possible. 

·       Support them to manage their sleep in a more helpful way.   Surprisingly, given their drive for independence, the research suggests that 70% of teens will go to sleep at a time set by their parents.

·       Start small. Teens need to discover the benefits for themselves - encourage them to stick to a consistent bedtime for a week. This will allow them to experience the changes for themselves – more focus, more regulation, better relationships…

·       Encourage consistency.  Consistency (weekdays and weekends) really matters with bedtime – it makes it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up

·       Support them to manage their screen time – screens are addictive and most teenagers do not have the frontal lobe capacity to manage this on their own.  This is our job as parents.  Devices need to be switched off at least 30 minutes before bed, this allows the hormone melatonin to show up in greater quantities.  And get devices out of their rooms.  Developmentally our teenagers are not be able to resist the draw of their phones if they wake in the night.  Support them with this by taking the temptation away.  

·       Encourage time outside, exercise and decaf coffee after midday

To show up as their best selves our teenagers need at least nine hours sleep.  This is not the reality for most teenagers for a multitude of reasons – privilege of productivity, change in sleep biology and the extensive use of screens.  As parents supporting their sleep is time well invested but we need to approach this thoughtfully.    Our teenagers are much more likely to listen to us if they feel understood rather than blamed.  Starting small and staying consistent creates big changes over time.  Be patient this is something you can guide but you cannot control.  


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