Sleep Deprivation and Teens

Do your high school students have trouble getting to school on time in the morning?  Do they go to bed late and want to sleep in?  Are the sleeping patterns of our adolescent changing as they grow older? Your students are not alone and the research says this is normal.

Studies estimate that between 20 and 30% of adolescents experience some form of sleep deprivation.  Teens on average need 9.25 hours of sleep per night, yet approximately 75% of teens go to bed after 11:00 p.m. on school nights.  This means they get less than 6.5 hours of sleep a night.   The average teenager typically gets 7.4 hours of sleep per night. Since the majority of high schools start before 8:00 a.m. and because adolescents are biologically driven to sleep longer and later than adults, the effects of insufficient sleep are more dramatic.  Starting between the ages of eight and twelve, triggered by hormonal changes, the adolescent’s circadian rhythm changes.  Research indicates that as adolescents progress through puberty, their brains are stimulated more later in the day which would result in better academic performance.  However most high stakes standardized exams such as the ACT and SAT occur in the early morning.

Parents surveyed report that 23% of teens complained of being tired during the day compared to only 11% of children under 12.  Fifteen percent of teens report that they fell asleep during school at some point.  Lack of sleep also contributes to increased disciplinary problems and poorer grades as well as memory deficits, lack of information processing, decreased creativity, decreased socialization and the inability to handle complex tasks.  A 1998 survey of more than 3000 high school students found that students who reported that they were getting C’s, D’s & F’s in school obtained about 25 minutes less sleep and went to bed about 40 minutes later that students who reported getting A’s & B’s.  Sleep deficiencies can also jeopardize one’s immune system and thus lead to an increase susceptibility to illness.

In addition, sleep deprivation is a problem for teen drivers.  One study found that annually drivers age 25 and under cause more than 50% of the 100,000 crashes resulting from drowsiness and fatigue.  Adolescent sleep difficulties are also associated with psychopathologies such as depression and attention deficit disorder (ADD).  Increased drug and alcohol abuse can also be linked to this phenomenon.

Some feel that the sleep missed during the week can be just made up on the weekends.  This is not the case.  The truth is that teens need a consistent sleep pattern and should maintain the same schedule every night, which means going to bed and getting up at the same time, even on the weekends.

In the interim, parents and guardians should establish a reasonable bedtime and wake time that is consistent throughout the week.  Nix the late night social activities and limit late night working hours.  Establishing a bedtime routine which includes a quiet activity such as reading a book or warm shower and avoiding caffeine later in the day will also help.  Computer games and flickering televisions should also be avoided as bedtime approaches.  Daily exercise is also suggested, however, it should not occur within two hours of bedtime.  While a quick 30 minute nap after school may help, longer naps later in the evening will negatively impact the bedtime routine.  Even dimming the lighting as bedtime approaches and exposing the child to bright lights in the morning can prove effective.

Just knowing that sleep deprivation is a normal adolescent experience may not provide the relief needed to offset the negative side effects.  However, with education, implementing the research-based recommendations and a bit of patience, the harmful behaviors may improve.  Education about the importance of sleep is just as important as education about exercise, nutrition and drugs and alcohol.  If all else fails it may be appropriate to discuss concerns with a medical professional. 

The most obvious solution is to move the start of school time to later in the day, although after school sports, jobs and other activities, transportation scheduling, family stressors and changing the school and community culture are huge obstacles to overcome.  Many high schools have implemented the change with success such as at Edina High, Minnesota, and Pike County, Kentucky.

Federal legislation (known as the ZZZ’s to A’s Act) was the introduced into Congress by Representative Lofgren (D-CA) and referred to the Education Subcommittee on Educational Reform.  The bill encourages school districts to move starting time to no earlier than 9:00 a.m. This bill has been submitted several times and referred to Committee but never acted upon.

Perhaps it is time to take a closer look at this phenomenon and implement solutions especially if all of the evidence suggests it is what is best for our students.  It is not a problem that will just go away.

For more information about sleep deprivation, go to www.sleepfoundation.org.