Why do teenagers find it difficult to go to sleep at a "decent" hour? And why do they find it so painful to wake up early? Sleep patterns change dramatically in the teenage years, and these changes are completely normal! Here's why...

1. Why Teens Need Their Sleep

2. Sleep is very important during periods of brain maturation!

3. During adolescence, daytime sleepiness INCREASES

4. During adolescence, daytime sleepiness INCREASES even if the total amount of nighttime sleep is held constant. (Dahl et al., 2002)

5. This means that although many teenagers get less sleep than younger children, there is actually an increase in sleep needs during the teenage years!

6. So how much sleep do teens NEED?

7. Adolescents need about 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night, and a lot of them don’t get even close to that much.

8. This can be problematic, because adequate sleep is essential for learning and memory.

9. Ok, but what exactly makes teens so sleepy???

10. Ok, but what exactly makes teens so sleepy??? Sleep patterns change during adolescence because the brain’s circadian system (biological clock) shifts.

11. Ok, but what exactly makes teens so sleepy??? Hansen et al. (2005) This shift results in a delay in the sleep/wake cycle (teenagers stay up late , and want to sleep in late).

12. Hansen et al. (2005) During the summer , teens tend to get the same amount of sleep on weekends and weekdays.

13. Hansen et al. (2005) But during the school year , teens get much less sleep on school days, and they compensate for this on weekends! During the summer , teens tend to get the same amount of sleep on weekends and weekdays.

14. (Dahl et al., 2002) The circadian system adjusts slowly to changes, so the rapid changes in sleep patterns between school and non-school days are particularly problematic!

15. Teenagers are biologically programmed to go to sleep late and wake up late, but because school schedules are not based on the sleep/wake patterns of teenagers, waking up late on school days is not an option!

19. What impact do you think all this sleep deprivation has on students??

20. Studies show that… Hansen et al. (2005) The reaction times of adolescents are much better in the afternoon than they are in the morning (lower means better)!

21. Studies show that… Hansen et al. (2005) The reaction times of adolescents are much better in the afternoon than they are in the morning (lower means better)! And that students perform better in the afternoon than in the morning.

22. Students in early morning classes report being less alert, more weary, and having to expend greater effort.

23. So, scheduling all of the important tests first thing in the morning doesn’t make much sense!

25. Teenagers need more sleep than adults, so many teenagers are chronically sleep deprived.

26. No wonder they are late for school, sleepy at school, reluctant to be involved in extracurricular activities and cranky !

27. Does this have a negative impact on adolescent life???

28. Does this have a negative impact on adolescent life??? YOU BETCHA!!

29. Sleep deprivation has negative effects on the control of behavior, emotion and attention, and is a significant impediment to learning, attainment of social competence and quality of life. Teenagers show dramatically elevated levels of daytime sleepiness (compared to adults). In many cases, the level of sleepiness in adolescents are near the threshold seen in sleep disorders like narcolepsy and sleep apnea! (Dahl et al., 2002)

32. References Dahl, R.E., Lewin, D.S. 2002. Pathways to adolescent health: Sleep regulation and behavior. Journal of adolescent health. 31: 175-184. Gibson, E.S., Powles, A.C.P., Thabane, L., O’Brien, S., Molnar, D.S., Trajanovic, N., Ogilvie, R., Shapiro, C., Yan, M., Chilcott-Tanser, L. 2006. “Sleepiness” is serious in adolescence: Two surveys of 3235 Canadian students. BMC Public Health. 6: 116-124. Hansen, M., Janssen, I., Schiff, A., Zee, P.C., Dubocovich, M.L. 2005. The impact of school daily schedule on adolescent sleep. Pediatrics. 115: 1555-1561.

33. Sun Life Financial Chair In Adolescent Mental Health For more information visit WWW.TEENMENTALHEALTH.ORG