Can't Sleep? Here are some ways to help you catch your zzzzzz's

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Teenagers have many things to worry about: school, friends, social activities, etc. Many teens are also over-stimulated, spending hours watching television, playing video games, talking on the phone and surfing the Internet. So, it's no wonder that sleep problems and sleep disorders are becoming commonplace among teenagers. In fact, as many as 30 percent of all teens suffer from a sleep disorder (statistic from the USA).

Hours of Sleep Needed for Teens

Many teens' hectic schedules keep them up late many nights. Ideally, most teens need at least eight and a half to more than nine hours of sleep. However, 85 percent of teens are getting less than eight hours of sleep each night.

This sleep deficit causes many teenagers to perform poorly in school. It can also have adverse effects on teens' health, causing weight gain, high blood pressure, irritability and depression.

Causes of Teen Sleep Problems

Everyone has an internal clock. This clock influences hormone changes, body temperature and sleep cycles.

When adolescents go through puberty, this internal clock shifts, causing teens to start feeling drowsy two hours later than normal. Thus, teenagers aren't ready to go to bed at their normal times, but they still must rise at the same time to get to school on weekdays.

Sleep Apnea and Teen Sleep Problems

Sleep apnea is serious sleep disorder, in which a person stops breathing for short periods of time during sleep. Sleep apnea is usually caused by a blockage in the throat, nose or mouth. Often, the cause is an enlarged tonsil. Overweight or obese teens are also more likely to suffer from this sleep disorder.

People who have sleep apnea often snore, have difficulty breathing and sweat during the night. All of these sleep disruptions can make the sufferer feel exhausted during the day.

If a teen is experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, he or she should make an appointment with a doctor or sleep specialist.

Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation in Teens

Many teens suffer from insomnia, the inability to fall asleep, at one time or another. Symptoms of insomnia include:

• difficulty falling asleep (taking more than 45 minutes to fall asleep)
• early morning awakenings
• feeling very tired after a night of sleep
• frequent awakenings with the inability to fall back to sleep.

Occasional insomnia is not usually a problem and may be caused by noise, illness, a change in your sleep patterns (such as when you're on vacation), jet lag, extreme temperatures changes and/or stress. Short-term insomnia may last from a few nights to a few weeks and usually resolves itself.

Long-term insomnia, however, can last for months, even years, and may be caused by depression, chronic illness, certain medications and asthma. If a teen is suffering from long-term insomnia, he or she should consult a physician.

Dealing with Teen Sleep Disorders

Fortunately, sleep disorders in teens can usually be resolved with minimal treatment. Teens who have a hard time falling asleep usually grow out of the problem as their biological clocks adjust to a normal pattern after puberty.

If a teen is suffering from insomnia because of stress, it is a good idea for them to find someone whom they can talk to about their stressors. Friends, family and counselors can listen to teens and help them through stressful times. Teens under stress might also want to consider learning about the various ways to deal with and/or eliminate stress.

Here are some other things teens can do to prevent sleep disorders:

• Avoid alcohol and nicotine.
• Avoid caffeinated beverages after lunch.
• Limit stimulating activities before bedtime.
• Limit extracurricular activities. Sometimes teens are overextended and participate in too many after-school activities. This might leave them too stimulated to fall asleep.
• Practice relaxation techniques before going to bed. For example, do gentle stretches or meditate.

            Below you will find some common treatments for sleep disorders, but a doctors’ visit is still recommended if you really find it difficult to sleep.  Your doctor can recommend the best treatment for your problem.

A SLEEP DIARY

A sleep diary is a detailed journal that outlines the specifics of good and bad nights of sleep that you experience. Some of the details you include in sleep diaries are:

• any medications you took that day
• any stressful situations you dealt with that day
• date and time
• what you ate that day
• whether or not you exercised that day.

Doctors typically recommend that you keep a sleep diary for about a month. Over the course of this time, you can start to correlate which factors hinder and contribute to better sleep. For example, you may notice that certain foods, dealing with particular people or exercising either promotes better sleep or causes you to sleep less.

FOODS THAT CAN HELP YOU SLEEP

The following foods can make getting a good night's sleep a dream come true:

1. Almonds: Almonds contain both tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a sedative, and magnesium, which acts as a muscle relaxant.
2. Bananas: Bananas contains melatonin and serotonin, chemicals known to help the body sleep, as well as magnesium.
3. Chamomile Tea: Chamomile tea's mild sedating effect has helped many restless people fall asleep.
4. Honey: Consuming too much sugar before bedtime can keep you awake. However, eating just a little glucose before hitting the sack alerts your brain to stop producing orexin, a neurotransmitter that keeps us alert. Add a little honey to your tea or milk prior to bedtime.
5. Milk and Dairy Products: Milk and dairy products contain tryptophan and calcium, both of which help the brain effectively use tryptophan.

Getting enough sleep will help you feel good, play sports better, be active, concentrate better and add to your overall general health.  Don’t forget to get your zzzzzzz’s!