Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important factors that goes into being a healthy, growing, and well-functioning teen. That being said, other factors in our lives like busy schedules, early school start times, active social lives, and puberty can cause us to not get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep poses to be a great challenge for many of us and affects our daily wellness. Educating yourself about sleep and taking the steps needed to further take care of yourself may seem like a daunting task, but we’ve got all the basic information and resources you need to become a better sleeper!

How much sleep do I need?

Children (6-12 years old) need 9-12 hours of sleep per night. Teenagers (13-18 years old) need 8-10 hours of sleep per night.

What happens if I don’t get enough sleep?

Sleep has a multitude of benefits. If you don’t get enough sleep you are more prone to:

Moodiness: difficulty controlling emotion as well as becoming frustrated, irritable and upset more easily are common with lack of sleep.
Behavioral issues: not getting enough sleep causes teens to be more likely to risk-taking behaviors like drinking alcohol and reckless driving.
Lack of thinking ability: attention problems, memory problems, poor decision-making, slowed down reaction time and stunted creativity are all effects of sleep deprivation.
Poor academic performance: teens without adequate sleep are more likely to do poorly in school, fall asleep during class, and be absent and/or tardy more often.
Poor athletic performance: not getting enough sleep is linked with slower reaction times, especially after a long day of school in afternoon sports.
Driving issues: teens are the most prone to fall asleep behind the wheel which is very dangerous while driving, especially coupled with other effects of lack of sleep like slower reaction time and being more easily distracted.
Health issues: not getting enough sleep is linked with many chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and depression.

What happens to my body when I sleep?

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There are also an immense amount of physical benefits of sleep that help you grow and develop. This is what happens in your body when you sleep:

Cell Restoration: muscles repair, tissues grow, hormones release, and proteins are made.
Brain Reorganization: toxic byproducts in the brain are cleared out causing problem-solving skills, creativity, memory, focus, and concentration to be enhanced.
Emotional Center Regulation: brain activity increases in areas that regulate emotion promoting emotional stability and lessening risk of mental health issues.

Sleep also helps your body with the following:

Weight Maintenance: Hunger hormones are suppressed during sleep. Sleep deprivation can increase risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Insulin Function: Sleep keeps cells that intake insulin healthy, thus protecting them from insulin resistance and decreasing risk of high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.
Strength of Immune System: During sleep you produce proteins that fight infection and produce antibodies and immune cells, all of which help you prevent sickness and kill germs. Sleep deprivation can therefore inhibit your immune system.
Heart Health: Risk factors for heart disease including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, weight gain, and inflammation are all associated with lack of sleep.

Why do I feel tired?

Your body has an internal 24-hour clock. This clock has rhythms that tell you when to feel sleepy or awake at certain times of the day. It tells you to feel sleepy at night and alert during the day. Because of these set rhythms that cause sleepiness at certain times, when you get poor sleep or stay up late at night, your internal body clock is thrown off, and you can feel very tired at the wrong times of the day when you’re supposed to be wide awake. It is very important to keep your internal body clock in check, as this will prevent tiredness throughout the day.

Additionally, your sleep-wake balance is important. A sleep-wake balance is how long it has been since you’ve last slept. If the sleep to wake balance is off, as in if you stay awake for too long, it will cause you to feel tired. This is also important to keep consistent as doing so will help in ensuring your internal body clock to be correctly set.

How do I get better sleep?

Have a consistent sleep schedule: go to bed and wake up at around the same time everyday, including weekends! This will help with regulating your internal body clock and having an optimal sleep-wake balance.
Create a bedtime routine: wind down and relax before going to bed. Ideally try to start this routine 1-2 hours before sleeping. This means no electronic use, intense studying, or exercise. Less stimulating activities like listening to music or reading are more calming for your body prior to sleep. This will also help you fall asleep more easily if you’re having trouble.
Create an optimal sleep-friendly environment: make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, dark.
Avoid caffeine (especially in the late afternoon): it can disrupt and disturb a good night’s sleep.
Exercise: exercise during the day will help you get better sleep at night as it can help you fall asleep more easily and sleep more deeply.

Having trouble falling asleep?

If you lie awake in bed at night for a while and have trouble falling asleep, all of the practices above in the “How do I get better sleep?” section will also help you to not only get more quality sleep, but to actually fall asleep as well. Nevertheless, here are some additional ideas:

Get out of bed and go to another part of the house and do something soothing like reading or listening to quiet music until you feel sleepy. Tossing and turning in your bed until you fall asleep can be counterproductive.
Use the 4-7-8 Breathing Method. Click this link to learn how to use this methodology that promotes calmness and relaxation and is used to combat anxiety and stress. This link also has directions for other relaxation and breathing techniques to help you better fall asleep as well.
Don’t look at the clock. Looking at the clock while trying to fall asleep can cause anxiety and you to obsess over not being able to fall asleep. Clock-watching is common with those who have insomnia.
Try aromatherapy. Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils, and you can try it by getting a diffuser, and using oil scents such as lavender, damask rose, lemon, orange, or peppermint that have positive effects on sleep and relaxation.
Write before bed. Many times when people have trouble falling asleep, it is because their thoughts are racing, which can produce anxiety and stress, which are two things counterproductive to sleep. Journaling for just 15 minutes before bed may help you get your thoughts out and create a positive, calm mind to help you fall asleep better.
Read. Reading is a good, calming activity to do in bed when getting ready to fall asleep. However, make sure you are reading a traditional paper book, and not any type of e-reader or electronic book, as electronic screens emit blue light which reduces melatonin in your body, and melatonin helps you sleep.
Focus on trying to stay awake. This may sound weird, but trying to stay awake while lying in bed instead of trying to force yourself to sleep has better results. It is a paradoxical effect that happens because you tend to feel more stressed and anxious when forcefully trying to make yourself go to bed rather than focusing on staying awake.