Teenager Sleeping Problems
Teenager sleeping problems, acoording to most medical sleep experts is due to having changed their time of going to bed. Going to bed later can influence the teens biochemical makeup and produce a time of adjustment where sleep can be a problem. The changing of the body due to puberty is coupled with staying up late on weekends and sleeping in when possible. All of this is a factor in deciding the cause of teenager sleep problems which is very concerning.
Teens will generally, after a weekend on an altered sleep schedule, find difficulty falling asleep at the normal time again when school starts during the regular week. This creates teen sleep problems based on the notion that it is unwise to juggle or disturb the norm when it comes to sleep times. It is important to get enough sleep during the school week, however, as a lack of sleep can result in behavioral or attention-related problems that could create an entirely new level of problems.
As teen bodies change, there is an ideal amount of sleep that should be gathered per night to help the body recharge from the building process. The average length of time for sleeping should be around eight or nine hours with younger teens at ages around 13 or 14 needing a slightly greater amount at around nine or ten hours of sleep. This is, again, all related to the amount of bodily change that is occurring during this growth period. The body needs time to recuperate from utilizing its maximum amount of resources.
Routines should be encouraged, even on weekends and on vacations, to enable your teen to awaken at around the same time each day. This will encourage a healthier sleep schedule that will develop over time and will, in fact, create a smoother transition into adulthood. Preventing teen sleep problems is often just a matter of making minor lifestyle adjustments such as changing or beginning a routine. Another idea is to encourage the teen to begin their own sleep schedule and give them responsibility for waking times.
Removing excess stimulants such as coke, or caffeine is also a step in the right direction to improve sleep problems. Also encourage healthy eating, avoiding as much sugar and processed foods as possible. Finally, encourage a good sleep routine and stop them form using the computer late at night.