Sleep
Although you may think getting the right amount of ZZZs isn't all-important, it is. In the same way that you make sure to get enough to eat, good sleep habits are a big part of staying healthy. And it's not just about making your parents and teachers happy. If you want to do well on tests, play sports without falling on your face, and hang out with your friends without turning into a zombie, you'll want to take a hard look at your sleep routine.
The Skinny on Sleep
Sleep isn't simply the opposite of being awake. In fact, while you're in sweet slumber, your brain is still active. As you sleep, your brain passes through stages that are necessary for you to stay healthy. Sleep is actually food for your brain. And like food, sleep is not an option. It's a need.
Many people - both teens and adults - believe that if they don't get enough sleep during the week, they can catch up on that lost sleep over the weekend and it will all even out. Although this seems like a simple trade-off, trying to pay back your sleep "debt" on weekends doesn't always work.
About every 90 minutes while you snooze, the brain passes through four stages of sleep - from light to deep - then moves into one of the most important stages of sleep, known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep or the dream stage. REM sleep is believed to be important in learning and memory. As the night progresses, your brain spends more and more time in the REM stage, from about 10 minutes during the first cycle to over an hour at the end of 8 or 9 hours of sleep. So if you sleep for only 6 hours a night, and you use weekends to catch up, you may not get the same quality of sleep that you would have if you tacked on an extra 2 hours each night during the week. And you may be missing out on some of your best dreams.
Sleep Problems
Some teens experience sleep problems that go beyond the occasional late night out. If you have any of the following symptoms that make you think that you may have a problem, talk to your doctor.
Insomnia is what happens when you have a lot of trouble falling asleep, especially when it happens often. The most common cause for insomnia is stress. Chronic insomnia lasts more than a month and may be caused by problems like depression.
Sleepwalking is when you walk or move around during sleep. Because most sleepwalkers don't sleepwalk very often, it usually doesn't become a serious problem. But some sleepwalkers move around almost every night, and they're at risk of getting hurt if they go into the kitchen where there are sharp items, for example, or if they go outside.
Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person to stop breathing temporarily during sleep. Causes of apnea include enlarged adenoids (tissues located in the passage that connects the nose and throat) and tonsils and obesity. People with sleep apnea may experience snoring, difficulty breathing, choking, and heavy sweating during sleep. They may also feel extremely sleepy or irritable during the day.
Narcolepsy (pronounced: nar-kuh-lep-see) is a sleep problem in which the person has sleep "attacks" during the day and can't stay awake, no matter how much sleep the person had the night before. Narcolepsy can be dangerous because people with it can fall asleep in perilous situations, such as while driving a car.
How Many ZZZs Do I Need?
Do you think that as a teen you need less sleep than your younger sister or brother? Actually, research shows that for teens to feel tops, on average they need a whopping 9 hours of sleep each night. But this number can be hard to reach. You don't need to be a math whiz to figure out that if you wake up for school at 6:00 AM, you'd have to go to bed at 9:00 PM to reach the 9-hour mark. Recent studies have shown that many teens have trouble going to sleep so early - not because they don't want to sleep, but because their brains naturally work on later schedules and aren't ready for bed.
What happens if you don't get enough sleep?
Plenty. You'll probably feel sleepy during the day and you may have trouble staying awake in class. This can affect your ability to concentrate, make good judgments, and get good grades. Most importantly, if you fall asleep while driving a car, you could be in a serious accident. Some teens experience emotional problems such as depression if they don't get enough sleep. You might also feel irritable, cranky, or more emotional than usual. When you don't get enough sleep, you might feel more clumsy and less coordinated. Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to acne and other skin problems.
Tips for Getting the Right Amount of ZZZs
If you want to make good sleep a habit, take a look at your everyday schedule. Are you working so many hours at your after-school job that you end up staying up late to finish homework? Does football practice take up so much time that you never get to bed before 11:00 PM? If so, think about ways to make your schedule more manageable. Can you work fewer hours if your job isn't essential? If football is especially important, can you drop another activity to make time for sleep?
If you're getting enough rest at night and you're still falling asleep during the day, it's a good idea to visit your doctor. The doctor will look at your overall health and sleep habits and may do a test to find out whether anything is happening during the night to disturb your sleep, like sleep apnea.
There are things you can do that might make it easier for you to fall asleep when you hit the sack. Here are some tips for good sleep habits:
*Have a regular bedtime and try to arrange your schedule so that you can stick to it.
*Try to stay on schedule even on the weekend.
*Don't go to sleep more than an hour later or wake up more than 2 to 3 hours later than usual.
*Don't nap a lot during the day. If you do take naps, limit them to 20 to 30 minutes.
*Leave some time to unwind before bed. This may mean saving a little time for the stress-reducing techniques that work best for you, such as meditation.
*Don't exercise right before bed. It's important to get enough regular exercise, but plan to do it in the morning or early afternoon if possible.
*Avoid beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee or soft drinks, after late afternoon.
*Get into bright light as soon as possible in the morning, but avoid it in the evening. Bright light signals the brain that it's time to wake up.
*Say no to cramming for exams with all-nighters. The best way to prepare for a test is to spread your studying out over time and to get plenty of sleep.
*Now that you know just how important slumber is to your health and happiness, be sure to stock up on sleep every night to feel your best.
Updated and reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: October 2002
Reviewed by: Winslow Borkowski, MD
