April 2006
Why teens fall asleep in class
Biological factors can determine sleep schedules
One out of four high school students is falling asleep in class at least once a week, according to a new study of more than 1,600 adolescents by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Many adolescents admit to being cranky, depressed, and too tired to exercise. Worst of all, they're often driving drowsy, and half of all teens who drive reported that they've done so at least once in the past year.
Only about one adolescent in five is getting the optimal amount of sleep for his or her age group: nine or more hours each night. On average, older teens get only about seven hours of sleep a night.
Still in sleep mode
But it may not be their fault. "The sleep/wake cycle is different for the 13- to 19-year-old than it is for younger kids or adults," Kyla Wahlstrom, director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota, told ConsumerReports.org. Because the body's secretion of melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy) kicks in around 10:45 p.m. for adolescents, teens simply can't get sleepy until that time.
On the flip side, they can't wake up completely until after 8 a.m.--well into the morning class schedule for most school districts. "This is not a matter of will," Wahlstrom says, citing the ability of adults to adapt to working a night shift, for example. "This is 9 to 9 1/2 hours of enforced sleep that a teen's body wants. It's not shiftable; it's fixed." Kids sitting in classes before 8 a.m. are biologically "still in sleep mode," she says.
Adding to this biological reality are kids' busy schedules (including sports, homework, socializing, and jobs), as well as a roomful of electronic devices that can tempt them away from sleeping. Older adolescents are more likely than younger ones to have more electronic devices in their rooms, such as computers, MP3 players, TVs, and cell phones, finds the study released on March 2006. For more information, see the organization's Web site: www.sleepfoundation.org.
Sleep deficit can weaken learning
Drowsiness in class and in the car is not the only outcome of sleep deprivation, according to Dr. Judith A. Owens, associate professor of pediatrics at Brown Medical School and director of both the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at Hasbro Children's Hospital and the Learning, Attention, and Behavior Program at Rhode Island Hospital. In teens (and adults), insufficient sleep can affect learning through a reduction in attention span, motivation, efficiency in performing tasks, and ability to think creatively. It also results in a greater number of errors and changes to metabolism associated with obesity and weakened immunity.
To fight off the sleep deficit, many teens have turned to caffeinated beverages: Three out of four adolescents in the NSF study reported consuming a caffeinated beverage in a typical day. But caffeine boosting can also interfere with sleep. Teens who drank two or more caffeinated beverages were more likely than those who drank one to have problems related to sleepiness and were more apt to get insufficient sleep on school nights.
A possible solution
While parents and teens can work to modify external factors, it's hard to fight nature. "The only solution is for school districts to change their start times," Wahlstrom says. Some school districts have successfully done just that. In 1996 the Edina, Minn., public school district changed its starting time and found "remarkable changes with kids being more awake and more alert for learning," she says. The Minneapolis public school district followed suit. The result was that the dropout rate, which had been above 50 percent for 9th- to 12th-grade students, declined by about 3 percent in each of the four years that followed the later start-time initiative. Other positive results included improved attendance, less sleeping in class, and less student-reported depression.
Wahlstrom says she has received calls from school districts in every state in the U.S. asking for more information. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 250 school districts have made the change to later starting times. Wahlstrom says the ideal starting time is 8:30 a.m. or later.
If you'd like to make a change at your child's school, start by getting the support of your school's principal, assistant principal, school district superintendent, one or more school-board members, or the local parent-teacher association. School districts should begin a discussion of this topic in the fall for the change to be in effect the following school year. To learn more, go to CAREI's Web site: www.education.umn.edu/CAREI.
Sleep tips for teens
Teenagers and their parents can use the following strategies to encourage healthy sleep habits.
1. Recognize the importance of sleep--like food, your brain needs it to perform at its highest level.
2. Be consistent. Try to go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, including weekends.
3. Track how much sleep you need to feel refreshed. Most adolescents need about nine hours of sleep, but some may need a little more or less.
4. Light triggers waking and sleeping signals to the brain. Avoid light exposure at night, but turn on the lights or get outdoors as soon as possible when you wake up in the morning.
5. Avoid caffeine and nicotine after lunch (or after noon). These stimulants disrupt sleep later that evening.
6. Do relaxing activities before bed. Minimize or avoid activities that stimulate you within one hour of going to bed, such as heavy reading, studying, and computer games.
7. Avoid all-nighters. They can drain brain power and throw sleep patterns into chaos.
Biological factors can determine sleep schedules
One out of four high school students is falling asleep in class at least once a week, according to a new study of more than 1,600 adolescents by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Many adolescents admit to being cranky, depressed, and too tired to exercise. Worst of all, they're often driving drowsy, and half of all teens who drive reported that they've done so at least once in the past year.
Only about one adolescent in five is getting the optimal amount of sleep for his or her age group: nine or more hours each night. On average, older teens get only about seven hours of sleep a night.
Still in sleep mode
But it may not be their fault. "The sleep/wake cycle is different for the 13- to 19-year-old than it is for younger kids or adults," Kyla Wahlstrom, director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota, told ConsumerReports.org. Because the body's secretion of melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy) kicks in around 10:45 p.m. for adolescents, teens simply can't get sleepy until that time.
On the flip side, they can't wake up completely until after 8 a.m.--well into the morning class schedule for most school districts. "This is not a matter of will," Wahlstrom says, citing the ability of adults to adapt to working a night shift, for example. "This is 9 to 9 1/2 hours of enforced sleep that a teen's body wants. It's not shiftable; it's fixed." Kids sitting in classes before 8 a.m. are biologically "still in sleep mode," she says.
Adding to this biological reality are kids' busy schedules (including sports, homework, socializing, and jobs), as well as a roomful of electronic devices that can tempt them away from sleeping. Older adolescents are more likely than younger ones to have more electronic devices in their rooms, such as computers, MP3 players, TVs, and cell phones, finds the study released on March 2006. For more information, see the organization's Web site: www.sleepfoundation.org.
Sleep deficit can weaken learning
Drowsiness in class and in the car is not the only outcome of sleep deprivation, according to Dr. Judith A. Owens, associate professor of pediatrics at Brown Medical School and director of both the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at Hasbro Children's Hospital and the Learning, Attention, and Behavior Program at Rhode Island Hospital. In teens (and adults), insufficient sleep can affect learning through a reduction in attention span, motivation, efficiency in performing tasks, and ability to think creatively. It also results in a greater number of errors and changes to metabolism associated with obesity and weakened immunity.
To fight off the sleep deficit, many teens have turned to caffeinated beverages: Three out of four adolescents in the NSF study reported consuming a caffeinated beverage in a typical day. But caffeine boosting can also interfere with sleep. Teens who drank two or more caffeinated beverages were more likely than those who drank one to have problems related to sleepiness and were more apt to get insufficient sleep on school nights.
A possible solution
While parents and teens can work to modify external factors, it's hard to fight nature. "The only solution is for school districts to change their start times," Wahlstrom says. Some school districts have successfully done just that. In 1996 the Edina, Minn., public school district changed its starting time and found "remarkable changes with kids being more awake and more alert for learning," she says. The Minneapolis public school district followed suit. The result was that the dropout rate, which had been above 50 percent for 9th- to 12th-grade students, declined by about 3 percent in each of the four years that followed the later start-time initiative. Other positive results included improved attendance, less sleeping in class, and less student-reported depression.
Wahlstrom says she has received calls from school districts in every state in the U.S. asking for more information. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 250 school districts have made the change to later starting times. Wahlstrom says the ideal starting time is 8:30 a.m. or later.
If you'd like to make a change at your child's school, start by getting the support of your school's principal, assistant principal, school district superintendent, one or more school-board members, or the local parent-teacher association. School districts should begin a discussion of this topic in the fall for the change to be in effect the following school year. To learn more, go to CAREI's Web site: www.education.umn.edu/CAREI.
Sleep tips for teens
Teenagers and their parents can use the following strategies to encourage healthy sleep habits.
1. Recognize the importance of sleep--like food, your brain needs it to perform at its highest level.
2. Be consistent. Try to go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, including weekends.
3. Track how much sleep you need to feel refreshed. Most adolescents need about nine hours of sleep, but some may need a little more or less.
4. Light triggers waking and sleeping signals to the brain. Avoid light exposure at night, but turn on the lights or get outdoors as soon as possible when you wake up in the morning.
5. Avoid caffeine and nicotine after lunch (or after noon). These stimulants disrupt sleep later that evening.
6. Do relaxing activities before bed. Minimize or avoid activities that stimulate you within one hour of going to bed, such as heavy reading, studying, and computer games.
7. Avoid all-nighters. They can drain brain power and throw sleep patterns into chaos.
