Sleep Deprivation in Teens Worse Than Ever Before

If you go long enough without it, you can actually die–so it’s obviously important.

Though sleep is generally known to be critical, our society continues to act as if it can run without it. Researchers are noticing downward trends in the amount of sleep that teens are getting each night–and it’s not a slow decline, either.

Professionals believe this may be due to the increased use of technology before bed. Technology is more integrated into our lives than ever before. Teenagers tend to stay up all night on their devices, whether it’s a phone, tablet, television, or otherwise. This cuts deeply into their time to sleep, adding to the sleep deprivation in teens issue.

Ways parents can intervene

The best solution would be to start school later since teens naturally fall asleep at later times, but this is vastly inconvenient for society as a whole and probably won’t happen any time soon. As a parent, you can do a few things to help combat sleep deprivation in teens and make sure your child is getting enough shuteye:

1. Avoid Screens Around Bedtime. Screens emit this blue light that affects your circadian clock, telling your body it’s not time to go to bed. This makes it more difficult to wake up in the morning and stay alert during the day. Because of this, it’s good to avoid screens starting at least an hour before bed. If you can’t take your teen’s word for it that they won’t look at their phone, have a place you all put your devices before bed.
2. Have a Routine. Having a routine you perform before bed (ex. Reading a book or showering) helps your body tell when it’s time to go to bed. Suggesting that your teen do this is an easy way to help them get sleep.
3. No Caffeine or Sugar Before Bed. You may think this is common sense, but you’d be surprised. These things are known to keep people awake–so it’s good to avoid them 3 to 5 hours before bed. If your family often has dessert, it’d be good to substitute pie or cake with something less sugary, such as cut up strawberries.

ViewPoint can help your teen

ViewPoint Center is an assessment center for teens, ages 12 to 17. At ViewPoint Center, we provide treatment through superior assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and stabilization–all in a personalized environment for your child in crisis. We strive to provide the best treatment for your child through the most efficient and effective methods available. Our goal is to help your teen through this hard time.  

For more information about how ViewPoint Center helps with sleep deprivation in teens, contact us today at 801-825-5222.