Mental Illness Three Times More Likely for Sleepless Teens
Is your teen getting enough sleep? Many teens spend night time hours on the Internet, texting and playing computer games. Not getting enough sleep can cause a host of problems for teenagers.Teenagers who are up late and lack sleep are more likely to be overweight and may suffer from obesity. Sleep deprivation can affect a teen’s performance in school as listening and cognition skills will be impaired. Teenagers may behave irritably and aggressive. Further, driving is unsafe for tired adolescents. The most startling effect of sleep deprivation and teenagers is that mental illness is three times more likely to develop in teens who do not get enough sleep.
The George Institute of Global Health in Sydney Australia studied the sleep habits of 20,000 people aged 17 to 24. The research showed that people who sleep less than 5 hours a night are 3 times more likely to develop a mental illness than those who sleep 8 or 9 hours. The problems usually begin as anxiety and body-clock problems but then move on to more serious problems like bi-polar disorder and major depression. Lack of sleep may explain the increase in mental illness in young people.
Sleep Requirements and Best Habits for Teens
Sleep is vital for good health. The minimum sleep requirements for teens are roughly nine to nine and half hours. Good sleep habits are necessary for your teen to reach this sleep goal. The environment your teen sleeps in, routines and schedules all affect how a teen will sleep at night.
Your child’s room needs to sleep friendly. A quiet dark room is conducive to good sleep. The bedroom should be painted a calm soothing color and the thermostat should be turned down so the room is cool at night. A ceiling fan can help cool things down and also provide white noise which drowns out any outside disturbances.
Your child may not like it but a teen curfew is essential to having a good sleep schedule. Teens need to be home at a reasonable hour so that a good bedtime routine can be established. First, teens should avoid caffeine, alcohol and and nicotine. These substances are stimulants and can keep a child from sleeping. Stimulating activities should also be avoided before bedtime. This includes video games, movies, and even studying. Cell phones and televisions should be turned off. Many people get in the habit of falling asleep with a T.V. on, but the noises and flashing lights from the screen will prohibit them from falling into a deep sleep. If sound is needed to fall asleep, music should be played softly.
After school activities and jobs can interfere with a good sleep schedule. Teens that are involved in sports or work can have many late evenings away from home when they should be resting. If your teen does participate in activities or have a job, he or she should try to get to bed the same time each night. On weekends it is all right to stay up late, but only 2 hours past the regular bedtime. The same rule should be applied to wake times.
Having a good nights sleep is crucial requirement for nearly all parts of your teen’s life. Lack of a good night’s sleep can cause problems in school, put your teen at a risk for obesity and cause driving to be risky. Most importantly, sleep deprivation in teens can increase your child’s risk of becoming mentally ill. Set a goal for your teen to have at least 9 hours sleep each night.
Is your teen getting enough sleep? Many teens spend night time hours on the Internet, texting and playing computer games. Not getting enough sleep can cause a host of problems for teenagers.Teenagers who are up late and lack sleep are more likely to be overweight and may suffer from obesity. Sleep deprivation can affect a teen’s performance in school as listening and cognition skills will be impaired. Teenagers may behave irritably and aggressive. Further, driving is unsafe for tired adolescents. The most startling effect of sleep deprivation and teenagers is that mental illness is three times more likely to develop in teens who do not get enough sleep.
The George Institute of Global Health in Sydney Australia studied the sleep habits of 20,000 people aged 17 to 24. The research showed that people who sleep less than 5 hours a night are 3 times more likely to develop a mental illness than those who sleep 8 or 9 hours. The problems usually begin as anxiety and body-clock problems but then move on to more serious problems like bi-polar disorder and major depression. Lack of sleep may explain the increase in mental illness in young people.
Sleep Requirements and Best Habits for Teens
Sleep is vital for good health. The minimum sleep requirements for teens are roughly nine to nine and half hours. Good sleep habits are necessary for your teen to reach this sleep goal. The environment your teen sleeps in, routines and schedules all affect how a teen will sleep at night.
Your child’s room needs to sleep friendly. A quiet dark room is conducive to good sleep. The bedroom should be painted a calm soothing color and the thermostat should be turned down so the room is cool at night. A ceiling fan can help cool things down and also provide white noise which drowns out any outside disturbances.
Your child may not like it but a teen curfew is essential to having a good sleep schedule. Teens need to be home at a reasonable hour so that a good bedtime routine can be established. First, teens should avoid caffeine, alcohol and and nicotine. These substances are stimulants and can keep a child from sleeping. Stimulating activities should also be avoided before bedtime. This includes video games, movies, and even studying. Cell phones and televisions should be turned off. Many people get in the habit of falling asleep with a T.V. on, but the noises and flashing lights from the screen will prohibit them from falling into a deep sleep. If sound is needed to fall asleep, music should be played softly.
After school activities and jobs can interfere with a good sleep schedule. Teens that are involved in sports or work can have many late evenings away from home when they should be resting. If your teen does participate in activities or have a job, he or she should try to get to bed the same time each night. On weekends it is all right to stay up late, but only 2 hours past the regular bedtime. The same rule should be applied to wake times.
Having a good nights sleep is crucial requirement for nearly all parts of your teen’s life. Lack of a good night’s sleep can cause problems in school, put your teen at a risk for obesity and cause driving to be risky. Most importantly, sleep deprivation in teens can increase your child’s risk of becoming mentally ill. Set a goal for your teen to have at least 9 hours sleep each night.
