Sleep is very important for teens. It is often seen that teens are sleeping late and waking up late also. But it is not an easy task to detect teenage insomnia.
There is an article called Sleep. This article indicates that 12.5% teens suffer from insomnia problem. About 50% of them suffer from chronic insomnia. So, you can say that insomnia is common in teenagers. Many people ask a question about the causes of sleeping disorder of teens.
Sleeping patterns in teens
Usually, major changes take place in the teenage. Their sleeping patterns are completely different from children or adults. The average sleeping time of a teen is about 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night. The sleepiness generator hormone is produced later in a teenager’s body. As a result, a teen faces difficulty is sleeping early or waking up early. But teens have to attend school regularly. So, they cannot sleep for 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night. This causes serious lacking of sleep in a teenager’s body. As a result, the probability of teenage insomnia is increased a lot.
Mood disorders and sleep
Mood disorders are closely related to insomnia. In fact, it is a major effect of insomnia. A teen with insomnia easily becomes depressed. In the case of adults, females suffer more from the anxiety problem. But in teenager’s case, both boys and girls equally suffer from the anxiety problem.
There is a confusion about insomnia and anxiety. Some people think that insomnia causes anxiety. Other people think that anxiety causes insomnia. You should not waste your time in this confusion. Both insomnia and anxiety are affecting the natural growth of your teen. So, you must focus on the treatment of your teen.
Symptoms of sleep disorders in teens
Some signs are given below to detect sleep disorder in teens:
- Waking up late in the morning
- Feeling sleepy in class
- Difficulty in learning and concentrating
- Bad performance in school
- Depression
- Tiredness in the late afternoon
- Lack of motivation
- Interest on sugar in the afternoon
Sleep deprivation or insomnia?
Biologically circadian rhythms are responsible for waking up late in the morning. But you cannot put all the blame on biological analysis in the case of teens. Some teens are engaged with homework, social work, part-time job, etc. at night. So, they have to go to bed late and wake up late in the morning. They give priority to their activities and sacrifice sleep.
Signs to differentiate between insomnia and sleep deprivation:
- Using a lot of caffeine to avoid sleeping at night.
- Watching television or playing games at night.
- Showing moodiness when someone asks about sleep issue.
Treatment of teen insomnia
Some methods for the treatment of insomnia are given below:
Regular Bedtime: You have to set a regular bedtime for your teen and maintain it properly. A fixed bedtime helps our body to fall asleep easily at night. You have to allow time for regular evening activities. You have to keep enough time for sleeping at night also.
Removing computer and television from the bedroom:Any type of light can hamper body’s ability to initiate sleep. The light of a computer or a television can also do the harm. So, it is better to keep television and computer away from the bedroom of a teenager. Keeping them in a separate room is the best solution.
Avoiding caffeine:
Caffeine is a stimulant. A teen must avoid too much caffeine drinks such as tea, coffee, soda, etc. Other stimulants like caffeine should also be avoided.
Caffeine is a stimulant. A teen must avoid too much caffeine drinks such as tea, coffee, soda, etc. Other stimulants like caffeine should also be avoided.
Light management in bedroom:
Light management is very important. If you can maintain darkness in the bedroom, it will help to produce melatonin in your body. This hormone helps to feel sleepy. You can cover the windows with dark covers to block outdoor lights. You can also cover the alarm clock. In the morning, remove the covers from the windows so that brightness is available on your teen’s body. This signal will naturally wake him up.
Light management is very important. If you can maintain darkness in the bedroom, it will help to produce melatonin in your body. This hormone helps to feel sleepy. You can cover the windows with dark covers to block outdoor lights. You can also cover the alarm clock. In the morning, remove the covers from the windows so that brightness is available on your teen’s body. This signal will naturally wake him up.
Avoiding napping:Napping is helpful to cover the sleeping lacking. But if you are habituated to excess napping, it will cause a problem in your sleeping at night. Try to avoid napping after 5 pm.
You can apply some therapies also for the treatment of insomnia. Some recommended therapies are given below:
MelatoninIt is the major responsible hormone for sleepiness. You can apply this hormone as a supplement. Melatonin is produced late in a teen’s body. Using a melatonin supplement is very helpful to make teens asleep at a reasonable time.
It is better to avoid melatonin in the early stage of puberty. You should not use it for a long time. A limited dose is suggested for this therapy. You must consult with a doctor to determine the perfect dose of melatonin for your teen.
PassionflowerIt is a gentle plant based medicine. It is very effective in the treatment of insomnia as well as restlessness. The insomnia caused by anxiety, social relationships, jobs, etc. are common is teens. Passionflower is very effective in the treatment of teens with insomnia. You can give a cup of passionflower tea to your teen 30 minutes before bedtime. You can also give passionflower supplement.
Passionflower should be avoided during pregnancy.
Passionflower should be avoided during pregnancy.
ChamomileIt is another gentle botanical medicine that is used to assist teens in sleeping. It is also taken as a cup of tea before 30 minutes of bedtime. People with hayfever should avoid chamomile because it belongs to the ragweed family.
ValerianIt is one of the most popular natural medicines for the treatment of teens with insomnia. The properties of Valerian are quite similar to the properties of benzodiazepine. Sometimes restlessness is caused because of these medicines.
You should take this matter seriously. Always talk about the proper sleeping habit with the teens. Try to maintain a routine bedtime for your teen. You should use a supplement occasionally, not permanently. Your proper steps can help them to lead a better life.
Providing information is the main purpose of the advices of this article. You should take a doctor’s help for medication. A doctor’s prescription is a must for the treatment of teenage insomnia.