Teens and sleep: how much should your teen be sleeping and common sleep changes during puberty
There’s a common myth of teen life that teens sleep too much. As adults remembering our teens or as current parents of teens, we can all relate to the image of the exasperated parent opening the bedroom curtains to sunshine as their child sleeps in until noon or later. However, recent research has revealed that teens are often not getting enough sleep and has gone so far as to encourage parents to help their teens find more time for sleep.
How much sleep is enough for teens
Puberty triggers normal and natural changes in teens’ circadian rhythm. This means that they will often feel tired and go to sleep later and then also wake up later in the morning (if they are able to). Teens are becoming sleep deprived in part due to early school start times and other responsibilities.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine states teens need around 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night, so more than the average adult. Tweens between the ages of 8 and 13 need even more sleep than that! Teens will tend to try to “catch up” on sleep on weekends (again, if they can) because they are not getting the necessary amount of sleep during the week.
Why does this happen? The sleep hormone melatonin is produced in the pineal gland and with the onset of puberty this gland starts to produce melatonin a few hours later than previously. In children, the production of the hormone begins earlier so they are tired in the early evening. As such, many teens will lie awake until after midnight. Teens might be seen as having permanent jet lag!
The mental and physical health benefits of sleep for teens
Solid sleep supports attention spans, memory, and thinking capabilities. Essentially for teens to succeed and do their best at school and in any other endeavors, they need to be getting enough sleep. The brain is developing rapidly during these years, leaving tired teens more vulnerable.
Sleep deprivation contributes to teens finding it harder to handle the mood swings of puberty, and feeling more irritable and easy to anger. Sleep loss can also contribute to teen anxiety, depression, and other serious mental health issues. Lack of sleep is also linked to impulsive or risky behavior and increased likelihood of accidents.
Sufficient sleep is important for hormone creation and is connected to healthy development of menstrual cycles. During teen years, the reproductive system is maturing and the brain-ovary connection is getting set up - this is when it is vital to teen health to support hormone creation and balance. Sleep also contributes to building physical strength, muscle recovery, and a healthy immune system, all additionally important factors for middle school and high school teens.
Teen sleep and the menstrual cycle
Energy levels change across the menstrual cycle due to shifts in hormones. During the second half of the cycle, the luteal phase and menstruation, your teen is likely to have less energy than during the first half of their cycle, the follicular phase and ovulation. They may be more sleepy and also more sensitive to sleep deprivation during this time. Getting sufficient sleep can help teens to manage the mood swings and physical symptoms associated with pre-menstrual issues and periods.
To use Teena to track their menstrual cycle teens need to take their basal body temperature when they wake up in the morning. However, in support of teen sleep, they do not have to take their temperature at the same time each day, which allows for weekend lie-ins. No alarms are necessary to accurately track periods and cycle phases. Teena will also highlight for your teen when they are entering the luteal phase and need to adjust their lifestyle to support their mental and physical health - like getting more sleep, more rest, and folding in self care to their schedule.
How parents can help teens get sleep they need
You may need to help your teen protect their sleep schedule and keep up good habits of sleep hygiene.
- help your teen discover for themselves that getting a good night’s sleep helps them feel better, enjoy their activities, and feel good. Start conversations on this topic that draws the necessary connections and allows for their autonomy.
- help them manage their schedules and extra responsibilities to help them prioritize good sleep. Cycle syncing - the choice to align your lifestyle choices with your cycle phase - can be a fun way to talk about the menstrual cycle as a pattern by which we can choose what we want to do when we are feeling most energetic and how to respond when we are feeling more low-key.
- let your teen nap, sleep in, and get sleep in the morning with the knowledge that they may have found it hard to fall asleep until after midnight.
- consider modeling keeping tech out of the bedroom in the form of phones and iPads and laptops, after a certain time. The Teena emits no lights and your teen can sync to the app at a later point in the day.
