Q&A: Teens View on Sleep

Healthy sleep is a vital fuel that gives a teenager the best chance to succeed in life. However, teenagers often sleep less every year, as they progress through high school. The result is serious: ongoing sleep deprivation. For teenagers between 13 and 18 years of age, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends sleeping eight to 10 hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health.

Yet, a 2016 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 69 percent of surveyed students in grades nine to 12 reported sleeping less than eight hours on an average school night. It is important for teenagers to have adequate sleep. When well-rested, teenagers are more likely to be healthy, energetic and have a positive attitude on life. They are more likely to excel at school and sports. It is true that Sleep Recharges You .

Intrigued by the possible ramifications and causes of the widespread sleep deprivation among teenagers, I obtained some insight from teen sleep advocate Gavi Forman, a junior in high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Q: How has becoming a teen sleep advocate changed your routine?

Gavi Forman: I first became interested in sleep a little over a year ago, and since then, I have learned a lot about it. I have learned about healthy sleep hygiene and the repercussions of sleep deprivation. Although Im still not perfect, and getting sufficient sleep is not always easy for me, I have adjusted my daily routine in order to accommodate more sleep.

One of the biggest ways I have changed my routine is by avoiding screens at night before going to bed. This reduces my exposure to blue light, which suppresses the release of hormones that make the body feel sleepy. Ive altered my homework routine by completing my research assignments and any other assignments involving a computer earlier in the afternoon. I leave the textbook assignments for later in the evening. Blue light exposure increases the heart rate and reduces sleepiness more than other wavelengths of light do. Bright light exposure is able to curb melatonin production and delay circadian rhythms which make us sleepy.

Like a lot of teenagers, I have a demanding schedule between challenging academics, the bottomless pile of homework, sports and clubs. For the first semester of this school year, my junior year, I could not finish my homework at a reasonable time. I studied after cross country practice until I ate dinner, and then would continue to work until my brain could not function any more. Knowing the consequences of this lifestyle of chronic sleep deprivation, I approached my counselor about a schedule change. Second semester, I have enjoyed a free period in the school day. The extra time for homework in school has allowed me to cut down on work at home and avoid cutting into my sleep.

Q: What convinced you to make sleep more of a priority?

Gavi Forman: My parents have always encouraged me to go to bed early, especially before big tests or athletic competitions. As Ive become more interested in sleep and learned about why it is so important, I now stress the importance of sleep in my life. Sleep first drew my attention when I was reading a section on the circadian rhythm in my health textbook. The book briefly explained how the internal clock shifts in teenagers, causing them to become sleepy at a later time and wake up at a later time. This is described further in an article published in Sleep Medicine . Puberty causes teens to shift to later bedtimes and wake-up times as well as have longer waking periods in general. Puberty also allows teens to push back feelings of being sleepy, allowing us to stay up later and delay sleep cycles.

Intrigued by these findings, I began to pay more attention to mentions of sleep and watched several interesting TED talks. I eventually summoned up enough courage to email you, the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine , at the University of Michigan. As a sophomore at the time, I did not know exactly how I could be of any help to you, but I wanted to learn more and follow my interests. Since then, I have learned much more about sleep and continue to become more educated on its importance.

Q: Can you tell me what benefits you have seen from sleeping eight to 10 hours per night?

Gavi Forman: With a more rested body, I am able to be fully present wherever I am all day. I am able to focus in class and be more efficient, and feel more energized while being active. I actually feel happier and have a more positive outlook on life! When I get enough sleep, I am able to get more out of my day-to-day interactions since I am able to completely pay attention to the conversation.

Q: What are some of the challenges that teens face in getting eight to 10 hours of sleep per night?

Gavi Forman: In this demanding society, teenagers are expected to take challenging classes, be involved in school activities, and somehow still be teenagers and have some fun. However, sleep is often not listed as one of these top priorities and is pushed back. Teens stay up late to finish homework on weeknights. On weekends, they often stay up late and sleep in very late. The circadian rhythm, or our internal clock, shifts later in teenagers making it more difficult to feel sleepy at a regular bedtime. This promotes later bedtimes, makes getting up for early school start times very difficult, and encourages sleeping in.

However, sleep deprivation can lead to scary consequences. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , teens who sleep an average of seven hours or less per night have an increased risk for car crashes, poor decision-making, and injuries in sports or in other environments.

Q: What do you recommend teens do to get more sleep?

Gavi Forman: I recommend that other teens try to focus on some of the things that are the most important to them, and be open to cutting other things out. Although I wanted to take an art class second semester, I knew I would benefit more from using that class period to do homework. Another thing that helps me when a monstrous, overwhelming to-do list is running through my head as I lie in bed, is writing it all down. I write everything on a piece of scrap paper so that I dont have to worry about forgetting various items on my list, and consequently can allow my brain to relax.

Q: Some teens stay up late and sacrifice sleep because of social media. Has this tempted you or your friends? Are there any good solutions?

Gavi Forman: Social media plays a large role in adolescents lives. I also take part in social media with Instagram and Snapchat. However, social media does not stop me from getting sleep, and I have not observed that it stops my friends from getting sleep, either.

However, many of my peers stay up late watching Netflix . After completing a busy day of school, extracurricular activities and homework, it is almost too easy to be tempted to relax by watching a show and getting into a story away from everyday stressors. There are just so many shows on Netflix and the next episode automatically plays! Many kids watch on their laptops, phones or TVs in bed instead of sleeping. The best solution is to not bring electronics to bed nor use them immediately before going to bed. Sometimes it is difficult to fight the urge to open up Netflix and to see its inviting red screen, but getting more sleep always pays off.

Q: Some research suggests that teenagers have difficulty getting up early in the morning, and do better with school start times at 8:30 AM or later, as recommended for example by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other medical associations. What time does your school start, and do you think start times for high school students is an important issue?

Gavi Forman: Every morning, my alarm goes off at 6:40 a.m., giving me about 40 minutes to get in the car to go to school. The reality is that I shut off my alarm without fully leaving dreamland and then continue sleeping until one of my parents actually wakes me up at 7 a.m. cutting my reasonable 40-minute period down to a frantic 20 minutes instead. I often feel fatigued all day from getting woken up during the wrong part of my sleep cycle. Sleeping in on weekends is the polar opposite. After a morning of sleeping in, and waking up when my body feels its right, I feel refreshed, rested and ready to begin my day.

I am far from the only teenager to experience this pattern. Teens are notorious for staying up late and sleeping in, and this is for good reason. The circadian rhythm tells the body when to do things such as eat and sleep. Through puberty, teens circadian rhythms shift to a later onset of sleep, and a later awakening than those of younger children and adults. This shift enables teens to stay up later, as they typically do not get sleepy until 11 p.m., and it also requires them to sleep in later for adequate sleep.

However, my high school starts at 7:45 a.m. The start time was pushed back five minutes from 7:40 a.m. last school year. It is very sought after to take a free first period so as to have the first class of the day begin after 8:30 a.m. My friends who are lucky enough to have free first periods only have positive things to report.

This past academic year, my school district has become more aware of and receptive to the idea of starting school later. The superintendent sent out a survey in which people in the community could offer their opinions on the matter. Predictably, there has been some protest about pushing all activities later, but many students remain in support of starting later. The opening of this important discussion is a promising start, although no decisions have been made public at this point. If school does not start at a later time next year, I will definitely work to be one of the lucky kids with a free first period.