Bad Morning Biology
Good news! If you are a teenager, after reading this article, YOU will be able to explain and defend your sleep habits to any adult who questions you. No, seriously, there are hormonal and biological reasons for why adolescents sleep the way they do. I only wish someone had shared this with me when I was a teenager! According to Johns Hopkins sleep expert Laura Sterni, M.D., “Teens experience a natural shift in circadian rhythm.” This is part of what makes it harder for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m.
When I think back to my teen years, I can remember pulling all-nighters with one friend in particular at slumber parties and having a blast doing it. When everyone else was passed out in their sleeping bags on the floor, we’d be sitting up snacking, cracking each other up, and setting booby-traps around the house. Now, in my 30’s, I can imagine much that would entice me to stay up all night, but then again I don’t have the luxury of choosing to make up for it by sleeping all day either.
Did you know that teens actually need more sleep than ten year olds? That’s right. Johns Hopkins pediatrician, Michael Crocetti, says that on average teens need 9 - 9.5 hours of sleep each night, about an hour or so more than a ten year old. The reason? “Teenagers are going through a second development stage of cognitive maturation.” That additional sleep helps their maturing brain and body deal with the large growth spurts. Some schools have actually switched the start time to 8:30, 9:00, or later with this in mind!
So if you struggle to wake up in the morning and get ready for school, blame it on biology. There’s a definite need among teens for some extra zzzz’s but what makes it complicated is that getting those zzzz’s won’t be as easy as it once was. There are countless shifts happening in a teenager’s life that can cause stress and keep them up at night. There’s school to think about, a job perhaps, sports, a person they find themselves romantically interested in, decisions about college, family problems, the list could go on but I’ll stop. The point is that teens may have to work harder to make sure they get the rest they need than any of us.
We’ve shared articles before about the importance of sleep and how you can maximize your ability to sleep well. Here’s a fast debriefer over some of that same information. And the next time you have a bad morning, blame it on biology!
Start your day in the sun. If it’s possible to eat breakfast outside or even sit on a front step for a few minutes after waking, that will help your body transition faster.
Set a bedtime and do your best to stick to it. Great sleep happens on a schedule.
No tech the hour before bed. That means no phones, laptop screens, tv, nada. This might seem like a harsh rule today but it works wonders. Trust me. Every time I choose to stay up late working on my laptop, I definitely see an increased difficulty in my ability to fall asleep.
Reference: Teenagers and sleep: How much sleep is enough. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/teenagers-and-sleep-how-much-sleep-is-enough.
Challenges/Points:
Struggling to wake up is a normal experience for teens and has biological links.
Teens actually need more sleep than the average ten year old due to mental and physical growth.
It’s especially important as a teenager to get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation has real consequences, physically and mentally.
Questions:
Do you tend to wake up feeling refreshed or like you need more sleep?
How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night?
What is one change you can make this week that will positively affect your sleep habits?
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