Teens and Sleep Disorders

Teenagers have many things to worry about: school, friends, social activities, etc. Many teens are also over-stimulated, spending hours watching television, playing video games, talking on the phone and surfing the Internet. So it's no wonder that sleep problems and sleep disorders are becoming commonplace among teenagers. In fact, as many as 30 percent of all teens suffer from a sleep disorder.

Hours of Sleep Needed for Teens

Many teens' hectic schedules keep them up late many nights. Ideally, most teens need at least eight and a half to more than nine hours of sleep. However, 85 percent of teens are getting less than eight hours of sleep each night.

This sleep deficit causes many teenagers to perform poorly in school. It can also have adverse effects on teens' health, causing weight gain and high blood pressure.

Causes of Teen Sleep Problems

Everyone has an internal clock. This clock influences hormone changes, body temperature and sleep cycles.

When adolescents go through puberty, this internal clock shifts, causing teens to start feeling drowsy two hours later than normal. Thus, teenagers aren't ready to go to bed at their normal times, but they still must rise at the same time to get to school on weekdays.

To help accommodate teens, some schools have gone to a later start time. Most high schools start classes at 7:30 a.m., which means most teens need to wake up around 6:30 a.m. to make it to class on time. By delaying classes by an hour, teens get extra sleep, which keeps them more alert and productive in classes.

Sleep Apnea and Teen Sleep Problems

Sleep apnea is serious sleep disorder, in which a person stops breathing for short periods of time during sleep. Sleep apnea is usually caused by a blockage in the throat, nose or mouth. Often the culprit is an enlarged tonsil. Overweight or obese teens are also more likely to suffer from this sleep disorder.

People who have sleep apnea often snore, have difficulty breathing and sweat during the night. All of these sleep disruptions can make the sufferer feel exhausted during the day.

If a teen is experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, he or she should make an appointment with a doctor or sleep specialist.

Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation in Teens

Many teens suffer from bouts of insomnia, the inability to fall asleep. Symptoms of insomnia include:

difficulty falling asleep (taking more than 45 minutes to fall asleep)
early morning awakenings
feeling very tired after a night of sleep
frequent awakenings with the inability to fall back to sleep.

Occasional insomnia is not usually a problem and may be caused by noise, illness, a change in your sleep patterns (such as when you're on vacation), jet lag, extreme temperatures changes and/or stress. Short-term insomnia may last from a few nights to a few weeks and usually resolves itself.

Long-term insomnia, however, can last for months, even years, and may be caused by depression, chronic illness, certain medications and asthma. If a teen is suffering from long-term insomnia, he or she should consult a physician.

Other Teen Sleep Disorders

Besides insomnia and sleep apnea, teens can suffer from other sleep problems, including:

Narcolepsy: Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which a person has uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep. These attacks can occur anytime, anywhere and can cause major problems, especially if the person falls asleep while driving a car.
Parasomnia: Parasomnia is any type of sleep disorder characterized by undesirable muscle activity that occurs during sleep, affecting skeletal muscle, the nervous system or both. Night terrors and sleepwalking are both in this category. Although these types of sleep disorders can cause dangerous situations, they are usually treatable.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): RLS is a disorder that causes the sufferer's legs to twitch, ache or feel uncomfortable. The symptoms usually occur as a person is dozing off, which makes it difficult to fall sleep. Generally, the exact cause of RLS is unknown.

Any teen suffering from any of the above disorders should contact a doctor as soon as possible.

Dealing with Teen Sleep Disorders

Fortunately, sleep disorders in teens can usually be resolved with minimal treatment. Teens who have a hard time falling asleep usually grow out of the problem as their biological clocks adjust to a normal pattern after puberty.

If a teen is suffering from insomnia because of stress, it is a good idea for them to find someone whom they can talk to about their stressors. Friends, family and guidance counselors can listen to teens and help them through stressful times. Teens under stress might also want to consider learning about the various ways to deal with and/or eliminate stress.

Here are some other things teens can do to prevent sleep disorders:

Avoid alcohol and nicotine.
Avoid caffeinated beverages after lunch.
Limit stimulating activities before bedtime.
Limit extracurricular activities. Sometimes teens are overextended and participate in too many after-school activities. This might leave them too stimulated to fall asleep.
Practice relaxation techniques before going to bed. For example, do gentle stretches or meditate.

Resources

Mayo Clinic (2007). Adolescence Sleep Problems: Why is your Teens so Tired? Retrieved January 17, 2007, from the Mayo Clinic Web site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/teens-health/CC00019.

National Sleep Foundation (2007). Teens and Sleep/Facts at your Fingertips: Talking Points. Retrieved January 17, 2007, from the National Sleep Foundation Web site: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/hottopics/index.php?secid=18&id=305.

Palo Alto Medical Foundation (2005). Sleep Problems, age 12 and Over. Retrieved January 17, 2007, from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Web site: http://www.pamf.org/teen/healthinfo/index.cfm?section=healthinfo&page=article& sgml_id=slppb.

Postgraduate Medicine On-Line (2000). Sleep Disorders in Children and Teens. Retrieved January 17, 2007, from the Postgraduate Medicine On-Line Web site: http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2000/03_00/garcia.htm.