If you have a teenage son, you have probably had a fight with him at bedtime more than once. At night it is never too late to go to bed however in the morning there is no way to get them up.
Many times we blame mobile phones or video games, But not all the blame is on these distractions. Although we send them to bed soon they take time to fall asleep. What happens then?
Why is it difficult for teenagers to fall asleep?
The many changes that occur during adolescence (physical, psychological, emotional, etc.) affect your sleep pattern.
Experts say that a teenager needs to get some sleep nine hours a day. Also sleeping hours are essential for memory consolidation and the release of growth and appetite hormones.
Teen brains make melatonin (hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle) later than children and adults. There's a change in your internal clock that disrupts your circadian rhythms. This is the reason why it is more difficult for them to fall asleep and get up in the morning. There are several neuroscientific studies that confirm this.
The vast majority of adolescents do not get enough sleep which makes them feel tired and irritable.
Consequences of lack of sleep in adolescents
Lack of sleep in adolescents has numerous repercussions on a physical, cognitive and emotional level.
- On a physical level weakens the immune system, decreases physical capacity and alters hormonal production affecting their development and growth. There is also a tendency to gain weight from overeating.
- At a cognitive level affects memory, decreases school performance and the ability to concentrate and analyze informationn.
- And on the emotional level increases stress and irritability levels, impulsivity and the risk of depression.
We therefore see that for the health of an adolescent it is essential to sleep the hours you need.
Sleep in teens on weekends
Many teenagers make up for their lack of sleep over the weekend. Although sleeping a few more hours can be positive for them, sleeping through the morning will make it difficult for them to fall asleep at night. It is important to respect the times of meals and sleep on Saturdays and Sundays.
How to help my child have good sleep habits
- Establish a regular schedule. It is advisable to go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Limit the use of technologies at night. Exposure to the light of mobile phones alters the circadian rhythm, making it difficult to fall asleep.
- The mobile and tablets outside the room. Some teenagers are always online and go to bed with their mobile. If they are connected until the wee hours of the morning the next day they have a hard time getting up. They arrive late to the institute and they don't perform well in the early hours of the morning. Currently this it is a fairly common problem that many parents do not know how to solve.
- Prevent your child from consuming coffee, colas, energy drinks, tobacco, or alcohol especially in the late afternoon and evening. They all are nervous system stimulants.
- Encourage him to practice some sport or physical activity but at the latest at seven in the afternoon. Physical exercise helps relieve stress and help regulate the circadian rhythm.
- Naps have to be half an hour at the most and in the early afternoon. It's healthier to get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night than it is to get six hours of sleep at night and then take a two-hour nap.
- You can practice as a family some kind of relaxation exercises an hour before bed and establish a routine before going to sleep.