Adolescent sleep
Adolescent Sleep Development: – Adolescent sleep worsens with age. – Longitudinal research shows sleep duration shortens during the transition from high school to college. – […]
Adolescent Sleep Development:
– Adolescent sleep worsens with age.
– Longitudinal research shows sleep duration shortens during the transition from high school to college.
– Sleep efficiency decreases during this transition period.
– Day-to-day variability in sleep duration increases.
– Factors like puberty, social, physical, biological, and psychological changes contribute to declines in sleep.
Sleep Recommendations for Adolescents:
– National Sleep Foundation recommends 8-10 hours of sleep for teenagers.
– Less than 7 hours and more than 11 hours may be harmful.
– Young adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep.
– Optimal sleep duration varies based on outcomes.
– Fuligni et al. (2019) found that younger adolescents need more sleep for positive mood.
Sleep Duration Trends and Factors:
– Sleep duration has been declining since the early 90s.
– Teen females, ethnic minorities, and those from low socioeconomic status experience the lowest durations.
– Puberty contributes to poor sleep.
– Technology use is a focus of research.
– Declines in sleep duration are global among adolescents.
Impact of Poor Sleep on Adolescents:
– Poor sleep duration is linked to increased risk-taking behaviors.
– Low sleep duration is linked with poor mood and affects emotion regulation.
– Poor sleep quality is associated with negative behaviors, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.
– Poor sleep affects brain development, cognitive control, and reward regions.
– Poor sleep quality mediates relationships between age and depressive symptoms.
Tools and Research on Adolescent Sleep:
– Various tools like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Actigraphy, and Morningness Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) are used to assess adolescent sleep.
– Research studies by Crowley, Gruber, Park, Keyes, and Fuligni have provided insights into adolescent sleep patterns.
– Chronotype influences adolescent behavior, mood, and substance use.
– Self-regulation is linked to sleep duration, sleepiness, and chronotype in adolescents.
– Studies have explored the associations between sleep duration, quality, and risk-taking behavior in adolescents.
Adolescent sleep is typically poor in duration and quality. Sleep duration and quality reduce to suboptimal levels, and sleep duration variability and latency increases during adolescence. Sleep recommendations suggest that adolescents should obtain 8–10 hours of sleep per night. Additionally, there is a shift in the body's circadian rhythm such that sleep and wake timings become later during adolescence. Technology, social factors, and physical development are thought to contribute to poor sleep during this time. Poor sleep duration and quality in adolescents has been linked with altered brain functioning and development, poor mental and physical health, as well as higher rates of disease and mortality. The concerns surrounding poor sleep during adolescence has garnered significant public attention, especially concerning policies related to school start times. Many evidences suggest that sleep contributes positively to attention, behavior, and academic achievement for adolescents.