Teenage insomnia is becoming more and more common in our society today. It has been noted that some teens suffer from sleeplessness at least a few times a week.
Might it have something to do with the late nights and early mornings they keep during the school week? Not to mention sleeping in on the weekends to make up for their hectic school days; it is no wonder that some of our children are having trouble sleeping at night.
It is said that some cases of teenage insomnia can start as early as childhood and continue through their young adult age. One must consider stress in school, peer pressure, school performances, and even relationships with teachers and peers can all contribute to their insomnia.
Researchers found that hormonal changes may also attribute to insomnia with teenage girls. It is said that when teenage girls begin their menstruation, that they are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia. Additionally, physical changes such as breast development may create social pressures thus contributing to sleeping problems of sorts.
Sleep deprivation can cause irritability, moodiness, lack of concentration, and even a decrease in overall teen performance. An even more serious effect in insomnia can lead to depression and anxiety disorder. It is said that teenagers and young adults ranging from 16-29 years of age are most prone to auto accidents as a result of falling asleep at the wheel of automobiles.
There are several treatments that teenagers can consider in order to overcome insomnia. They may try delaying their sleep time gradually in order to get their bodies use to their desired bedtime. Teens should also implement exercise in their day and cut back on their caffeine intake.
Other than the obvious of seeing your teen sitting up in the wee hours of the morning, parents should be aware of insomniac symptoms such as waking up several times at night, lying in bed for hours unable to fall asleep, or even waking up earlier than usual.
Transient insomnia is known as short-term insomnia and can simply be caused by changes in a teens normal sleep routine. Distractions around the time of sleep such as noise and bright lights may also attribute to short-term insomnia.
Chronic insomnia occurs when there is a problem falling asleep or staying asleep over a long period of time. Chronic insomnia may arise through stress or it may even have a medical cause associated with it.
Teenage insomnia can severely interfere with the daily tasks of our teens and should be taken seriously that we may understand the treatments available to our teens.
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May 15th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Hi there,
i am always very tired, often yawning a lot and am very sleepy, even when i have just woken up. I wish just sometimes i could sleep in, even on the weekends i wake up early. I often dont get to sleep until after 11.30, and i usually go to bed around 9.30 to ten oclock. I often wake up earlier than 6.00 am, and am sick and tired of this. I try to go back to sleep but am unsuccesful most mornings. I am fifteen years old, what should i do? it is affecting my moods and my grumpiness, and my relationships. Thankyou =)