Why Teenagers Should Really Sleep Well And Why They May Face Sleep Issues
Why is Sleep Important for Teenagers? Sleep helps to restore and repair the rapidly developing bodies of teenagers. Sleep helps the brain process information it has received during the day, making some memories stronger while fading away unwanted memories. Sleep also helps us regulate emotions. Sleep issues such as sleeping problems at night and poor sleep cause physical and emotional problems. Research has found that social isolation is a risk factor for depression and anxiety in teenagers and good sleep can protect them whereas sleep issues and sleeping problems at night can make them more vulnerable to these ill effects. In a time like the COVID-19 pandemic, where social distancing and isolation is the norm, it is important for teenagers to get good sleep. How Many Hours of Sleep Do Teenagers Require? The recommended number of hours of sleep that teenagers should get every night is 8 to 10 hours. However, many surveys, including a survey by the National Sleep Foundation in 2006, found that adolescents do not get the required amount of sleep and face sleep issues and sleeping problems at night. Why Do Teenagers Face Sleep Issues? During puberty, the shift in the timing of production of melatonin, leads to sleep onset by 10 or 11 pm instead of 8 or 9 pm as during childhood, leading to sleeping problems at night. The excessive time spent on electronic devices and the subsequent bright light exposure inhibits melatonin production leading to sleeping problems at night and shorter sleep durations. Teenagers don’t give enough importance to sleep and think that it is ‘cool’ to pull out all-nighters or go by as little sleep as they can. The habit of catching up on sleep on weekends, only adds to sleep issues and sleeping problems at night. Teenagers can also suffer from sleep issues such as Obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, circadian rhythm sleep disorders that make it difficult to get good sleep. What Is the Impact of Poor Sleep on Teenagers? Day time sleepiness can affect the concentration of teenagers during their regular classes. Lack of sleep can also induce unhealthy behaviors such as overeating and eating at wrong times during the day, resulting in weight gain, feeling of bloating, and sleeping problems at night. Lack of sleep can make teenagers more irritable and aggressive, causing the rash behavior we see amongst teenagers. Poor sleep due to sleep issues and sleeping problems at night has also been linked to an increase in the use of the substance, smoking, etc. Solutions for Sleep Issues in Teenagers Parents should develop a better relationship with their teenage children, understand their sleep issues, and help them. Teenagers themselves should develop a good attitude towards sleep. Teenagers should also: Limit their screen time and not use electronic gadgets that emit bright light at least half an hour before sleep time to avoid sleeping problems at night. Have a fixed bedtime and wake up time on weekdays as well as weekends. Avoid eating too close to bedtime, so that they don’t feel bloated, to reduce sleeping problems at night. Avoid drinking tea, coffee, chocolate drinks that contain caffeine after about 12 noon. Exercise regularly for about 60 minutes. To seek help or know more about teenagers and sleep issues you can visit the Neurology and Sleep Centre, the 1st sleep centre in the country accredited by Indian Board of Sleep Medicine at L-23, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi, Delhi-110016 (INDIA) Or give a call on +91-11-46070321, +91-9643500270, Or write to info@neurologysleepcentre.com
Sleepwalking Can Be Dangerous and Can Cause Harm If Untreated and Unmanaged
Sleep Walking Sleepwalking or somnambulism is a sleep disorder in which an individual experiences unwanted activities such walking, talking etc. during sleep. These can occur during the non rapid eye movement or NREM stage of sleep. While sleep walking, the person shows unusual behaviors such as getting up from the bed and walking around, or staring with glazed eyes, or sitting with their eyes open and they generally do not respond or communicate if they are asked something. Studies have shown that sleep walking affects about 4% of adult population. Sleep walking is more common in children between age four to eight years and is gone by twelve years of age. Sleep walking in children is influenced by parental history; the prevalence is around 22.5% for children when both their parents are not affected and increases to about 61.5% in children whose both parents have been affected by sleepwalking. Features of Sleep Walking The main features are: An inability to remember the event the next day A lack of awareness of his or her surroundings Weakened decision making skills Sleepwalking is extremely dangerous as the individual is not aware of the activities that he or she is doing. Instances where the sleep walking individual may drive, climb out of an open window or stairs can lead to serious injury. It also leads to excessive day time sleepiness. Along with the sleepwalker the other members of the family also get affected. There is an overall decrease in the quality of the life of the patient., fear of sleep as they are apprehensive of the sleep walking and its dangers. Causes of Sleepwalking The following reasons predispose an individual to experience sleepwalking: Chronic sleep deprivation ( poor sleep for a few nights) Certain medications like anticonvulsants, antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants and antibiotics can also stimulate sleep walking. Some research studies have shown that sleep walking is inherited and is a dominant trait. The DQB1 gene has been implicated in sleep walking. Management of Sleepwalking The first thing is to establish a regular bed time and wake up routine with adequate no of hours of sleep. Lifestyle changes like avoiding alcohol, tobacco, stress, eating a healthy diet, proper sleep schedule and developing a positive attitude has shown to be helpful. Medications which improve levels of Gamma Aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain have shown to be effective. At home or in the sleep environment, certain safety measures to protect the person from injury such as locking of windows and external doors, locking the entry gate for staircases, removing pointy and breakable objects from the bedroom must be taken. When to See the Doctor? Occasional sleep walking is normal but if it occurs several times at night and the patient is getting injured while sleep walking, then one must seek medical help. To seek help or know more about Sleepwalking, you can visit the Neurology and Sleep Centre, the 1st sleep medicine center in the country accredited by Indian Board of Sleep Medicine at L-23, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi, Delhi-110016 (INDIA) Or give a call on +91-11-46070321, +91-9643500270,
