Normally, teenagers should have 9-10 hours of sleep every night. However, teenagers, these days sleep for 6-7 hours every night. The importance of sleep must be highlighted to teenagers because a proper sleep of required hours is a fundamental part of life. A good sleep relaxes the mind and gives the energy to do work all day long.
Teenagers, nowadays, are observed to have an improper sleep schedule which keeps them disturbed throughout the day. Less sleep keeps irritating the mood and no work is done properly while school education also gets affected.
Schools start early in the morning which is too early for teenagers to have enough sleep. Teenagers find it difficult to sleep before 11 p.m. and get-up approximately at 7 a.m., which lets them have less sleep to stay active throughout the day.
Due to social media, internet, and online games, teenagers have made a bad habit of staying up till late in the night. They keep on using electronic devices like phones, tablets, computers, and gaming console till late. They end up sleeping in later hours at night and then wake up early in the morning for school, and therefore, have less sleep, which are the main reasons for their poor mental health, physical health, and lower concentration level.
The sleep cycle is even more disturbed after they hit the age of puberty. They start having sleepless nights or sleep very late in the night. It affects their studies, they lose interest in school and even their extra-circulars activities get affected. They do not participate in sports and socialize less.
Sleep deprivation has many negative effects on teenagers like; teenagers when they do not get enough sleep have mood swings, they do not get satisfied with their lives and as a result, they start drinking, engage in dangerous activities or start driving fast. Sleep deprivation can be caused by tension, family problems, school pressure, hormonal changes due to puberty or even getting bullied by other classmates. According to the survey, teenagers who do not take enough sleep are more likely to be indulged in wrong activities and perform poorly in academics. Their absentees and class bunks start increasing, they become less creative and there are sudden changes in their bodies.
Teenagers can get enough sleep if their parents maintain their proper daily schedule. The teenager should go to sleep at an exact time and should wake-up at an exact routine time. To maintain any habit, sixty days of practice is needed. If a teenager is going to bed late and waking up at an exact time throughout the week, the person will not be able to maintain a proper schedule.
A small nap in the afternoon also known as a power nap can also be beneficial for the teenagers to stay active. Avoid using electronic devices when going to bed at night and use them as little as they can during the day. The importance of sleep must be highlighted to teens. They must be told to do homework on time and avoid any bad habits. Bad habits will destroy their inner system at a very little age.
How much sleep is necessary as a teenager?
How much sleep someone needs depends on their age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.
