If you do not know the impact of insomnia in teenagers, you must try to know about it. Usually, teens are fond of the late-night show. But sometimes they are seen very tired though they go to bed early at night. At first, this problem does not look so serious among teenagers. But insomnia in teenagers is not a dream. It is a reality. In fact, this problem is very common in teenagers.
In USA, more than 90% teenagers feel difficulty in sleeping at least twice a week. Chronic insomnia usually starts from the age 11 and can last for the whole life of a teenager.
A teenager has to get up early in the morning for his school, though he has not slept well at night. Because of the lack in sleeping, he may face a lot of problems. He cannot concentrate well. Some problems in his behavior are also seen. His school performance becomes lower than others. Anxiety disorder is a very serious effect of insomnia. Some studies show that most of the auto accidents occurred by young people are caused by insomnia.
Causes of Insomnia in Teenagers
The body clock of a person is changed during puberty. Usually, a person goes to bed at 8 or 9 pm before adolescence. You have to add two or three hours more with this time to calculate the natural bed time of a teenager.
Teenage is the time of exploration. A teenager discovers many new things in his life during this time. He gets habituated to many new habits also. Usually, it is time when a person starts smoking and drinking. Hanging out with friends at night is also a common habit of teenagers. Some teenagers drink coffee for refreshment. These habits are responsible for insomnia. Other sleep disorders can also be caused by these habits.
Sometimes a teenager faces a lot of pressure at school. He also suffers from problems related with relationships. These facts play a vital role in bringing insomnia.
It is seen that some insomnia cases start from childhood and continue up to the teenage level. Usually, a child is habituated to a person or condition that makes him asleep. When the person or condition is not available for the child, he faces problems in sleeping.
Insomnia Treatment for Teenagers
Some useful treatment methods of insomnia in teenagers are given below.
Light Therapy: You can expose your teens to bight light in the morning so that their body gets a natural signal to wake up. Light box is available in the market for this purpose. You can use that box if there is no natural source of bright light available in the morning.
You have to keep the bedroom dark for the sleeping signal of a teenager’s body.
Chronotherapy: You have to make the proper use of the summer break for this method. Try to delay the usual bed time of your teen at a regular basis. For example, if your teen goes to bed at 12 am, you have to make him sleep at 2 am. You have to make the bed time 4 am for the next day. You have to adjust the wake up time with the sleeping time also. If you can successfully apply this method, the risk of insomnia will be reduced a lot.
Medications: You can take the help of a sleep-inducing hormone called Melatonin. You have to give it to your teen five hours earlier than his bed time. There are some side effects of this medicine. As a result, always consult with a doctor before taking this medicine.
Some useful tips for your teen’s better sleeping are given below:
- You can encourage your teen to take exercise regularly. But you must forbid him to do exercise before bedtime.
- You have to reduce pressure on their mind before bed time. Try to discourage them for doing homework before bed time.
- Try to reduce the amount of caffeine in the diet as much as possible.
- Try to place the distractions such as telephone, TV, etc. in a good distance so that they can sleep well.
- Try to help them in doing their regular tasks. If they do not need to worry about anything, they will not suffer from insomnia.