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When it comes to the science of sleep, there is plenty of contrasting information that can easily confuse. For a long time, people have been conditioned to believe that people need around 8-10 hours of sleep every night. Some people also believe this to be a myth.
Parents are already on edge about dealing with the hormonal changes their teenagers are going through but they also have to make sure that their children are getting enough shuteye for a healthy body and brain.
Sleep is a human right. In fact, three female inmates won a lawsuit against the County Sheriff’s Office in Alameda over sleep deprivation.
The sleeping patterns of teens are different than those of children. Changes begin at around 13 years old. Aside from hormonal changes, several factors can cause sleeping problems. For instance, bad habits are already formed before this age, when they are around ten years old. It is tough to wean them away from these bad habits when they get used to the rhythm.
Other factors include
- The pressure and stress at school
- Homework or the busy schedule
- Stress
- Social life
- Digital devices
However, you should never resort to giving sleeping pills to children. Even the FDA sounded off a warning about the dangers of being dependent on insomnia medication. With that said, if your child was injured as a result of overprescribed sleeping pills, contact a medical malpractice firm like seattlemalpracticelawyers.com
How Many Hours Should Your Teens Be Sleeping?
According to the Sleep Foundation, teens are not sleeping enough, particularly on school nights. A study revealed that less than 2 in 10 teenagers are getting 8 ½ hours of sleep on weekdays.
The “circadian rhythm,” or the internal body clock, rapidly changes during puberty. For instance, your child may have been tired by 8 PM before puberty, as we age drowsy time can be much later towards 10-11 PM
Most experts agree that your teenager needs about 9 to 9 ½ hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. The primary reason for this is cognitive maturation, which is the second development stage. Sufficient sleep will help them with brain progress and optimum physical health.
However, do not worry if your adolescent can’t seem to sleep before 11 PM, it’s normal for the biological pattern to shift during the teen years.
For example, melatonin or the “darkness hormone,” a substance that helps people fall asleep, is produced by the adult body at 8 PM, your teenager will not have increased activity of melatonin until around 1 PM
Unless the problem can be linked to sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or insomnia, it should not be too much of a challenge for them to tire without resorting to medication. You can invest in a hybrid mattress to promote drowsiness. Several natural sleeping aids will also help them get to dreamland faster.
Why You Should Not Ignore Your Teen’s Sleeping Patterns
Sufficient sleep is crucial to release the necessary hormones for the growth spurt of your kids.
Most people are not aware that the body’s vital organs will also rest while you are sleeping. If you are off to dreamland, your heart rate will fall, as well as your blood pressure. It is also a time when your kidneys and liver will try to recuperate.
You need to undo their bad habits and introduce new patterns before turning in for bed on a school night. During weekends, you should also make sure to wake them up within two hours of their regular weekday schedule. It will help them get up on time on Monday morning.