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Topic Name: Has your teenager become a night owl
Category: Memory disorder
Research persons: Sharat Ahluwalia, M.D
Location: Heart Hospital, and St. Joseph's Hospital, United States
Details
With Sharat Ahluwalia, M.D., Neurology and Sleep Disorders; Marshfield Clinic Eau Claire Center and Chippewa Center
Parents are often surprised when their children, who used to be early birds, become night owls as teenagers. But this shift in sleep schedules is simply part of their natural development.
“Teenagers undergo many changes as they mature. One of these is a shift in circadian rhythms,” explains Sharat Ahluwalia, M.D., a neurologist specializing in sleep disorders at Marshfield Clinic Eau Claire and Chippewa Centers. Circadian rhythms refer to the body’s 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. Studies show that teens throughout the world tend to stay up late and sleep in when given the chance.
However, this shifting sleep schedule causes teens to be out of sync with the rest of society, especially during the school year, when they’re required to get up early for class. “High-school students are often so drowsy during their morning classes that they don’t perform as well as they should,” says Dr. Ahluwalia.
Some school districts have changed their start times to accommodate teens’ shifting schedules. But until they all do, Dr. Ahluwalia has a few suggestions to help parents and teenagers cope.
Understanding and consistent routines can help
“It helps when parents understand there’s a biological reason for teenagers’ preference for sleeping in,” says Dr. Ahluwalia. “Most of the time, they’re not being lazy or sleeping much longer than adults normally do. They’re just sleeping different hours.” He says this shift in sleep patterns often continues until about age 22.
“Sleep requirements vary from person to person,” he continues. “Adults generally need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night, and teenagers generally need about an hour more. To help teens get the sleep they need, he suggests parents set limits and help their teens follow consistent routines.
“It’s very easy for teenagers to get carried away and stay up until 2 a.m. watching TV or playing computer and video games. But parents need to make sure TV and other electronics aren’t interfering with teenagers’ sleep,” he says.
He realizes some teens stay up late simply because they can’t fall asleep. He says parents can help their teens by having them adhere to relatively consistent schedules – all week long. “Sleeping in on the weekends cannot make up for a week of sleep deprivation,” he says.
Sleep is necessary for physical and mental health
“During sleep, the body goes through a building process known as anabolism, which basically helps repair and restore the body and mind,” explains Dr. Ahluwalia. “Sleep is especially important for restoring mental energy. It also helps the brain organize and consolidate new information.”
When people are deprived of sleep, they have difficulty thinking clearly and tend to make more errors. Learning, remembering and concentrating also become more difficult. In addition, people tend to become more irritable, less tolerable of others and lose their sense of humor. They also tend to eat more and become sick more easily.
When should parents seek medical help?
For most teens, shifting sleep schedules are simply another phase of development that they eventually outgrow. However, there are times when chronic difficulties with falling asleep or remaining asleep are symptomatic of other concerns, such as depression or attention deficit disorder. When these conditions exist, sleep disturbances are usually one of several telling symptoms. If you suspect your teenager’s sleep disturbances are out of the ordinary, be sure to discuss them with your child’s physician.
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