During adolescence, it is normal for sleep patterns to be altered, so it is very common for a teenager to appear to have excessive sleep, feeling very difficult to wake up in the morning and feeling tired throughout the day, which may end up hampering his performance in school and even their social life.
This happens mainly due to a natural alteration that happens in the biological clock during adolescence. This change causes a delay in the time at which melatonin, the main sleep hormone, is produced. When this happens, the urge to fall asleep appears later, causing a delay throughout the day.
How Melatonin Affects Sleep
Melatonin is the main sleep hormone, so when it is being produced by the body, it causes the person to want to sleep, whereas when it is no longer being produced, it causes the person to be alert and ready for sleep. daily activities.
Generally, melatonin begins to be produced at the end of the day, when the light of the sun is less intense and when you have fewer stimuli, allowing the sleep to arrive slowly, and reaches its peak during the sleep. After that, your production slows down to make it easier to wake up and prepare the person for the day.
In adolescents, this cycle is usually late, so melatonin begins to be produced later, which causes sleep to take longer to reach, and in the morning, it becomes harder to wake up, as melatonin levels are still high, wanting to continue sleeping.
How many hours of sleep a teenager needs
Usually a teen needs to sleep 8 to 10 hours a night to recover all the energy spent during the day and ensure a good alertness and attention during the day. However, most adolescents are unable to do these hours of sleep, not only because of changes in the sleep cycle, but also because of lifestyle.
Most teens have various tasks and activities during the day, such as going to school, working, playing sports and going out with friends, so they have little time to rest and sleep.
How the lack of sleep can affect the teenager
Although in the short term, lack of sleep does not seem like a problem, decreasing sleeping hours can cause several types of consequences in the teenager's life. Some are:
- Difficulty waking up, which can lead the teenager to miss the first appointment in the morning;
- Decreased school performance and very low grades because the brain can not rest at night;
- Frequent willingness to sleep, even during classes, impairing learning;
- Excessive sleep over the weekend, sleeping more than 12 hours in a row.
In addition, another sign that lack of sleep may be affecting the teenager's life is when an accident occurs due to lack of attention, such as having a traffic accident or nearly being run over, for example.
As the body has no time to recover from day-to-day stress there is still a greater risk of developing depression, caused by excessive stress and anxiety. Check out 7 signs that may indicate a depression.
How to improve sleep
Regulating the sleep cycle of a teenager can be quite difficult, however, there are some tips that can help sleep come early, such as:
- Avoid using the cell phone and other electronic gadgets in bed, or at least reduce the screen light to the minimum;
- Read a book for 15 to 20 minutes in average light, before bed;
- Respect bedtime and wake-up time, to help the body create a schedule, allowing regular production of melatonin;
- Avoid caffeine intake after 6:00 pm in the form of drinks or food, such as energy bars;
- Take a 30-minute nap during lunch to increase energy for the afternoon.
Also, a soothing tea may be used about 30 minutes before bedtime, for example with chamomile or lavender, to promote relaxation and try to increase the production of melatonin. Here's a list of some natural teas for better sleep.
