Teenagers will need at least 8 hours to 9 hours of sleep per day. However, due to some hormonal changes and lifestyles they choose to live, some teenagers find it hard to sleep on time and wake up the next day getting 8 hours of sleep to 9 hours. Just like anyone, teenagers can also suffer from various sleep disorders. Common sleep disorders that can affect teenagers these days are sleep deprivation, insomnia, sleep walking, etc.

Sleep Deprivation and Teenagers

Usually, teenagers have poor prioritization skills and think that sleeping is not as important as it really is. They usually opt for doing some other things, rather than sleeping. Teenagers really need to get a lot of sleep,  since they need to function at their best during the day when they are in school. Most teenagers tend to procrastinate in doing their homework and do it very late at night, causing them to be sleep deprived. It has been scientifically proven that sleep deprivation can affect a person’s thinking skills and overall performance during the day. Sleep deprivation, if not taken seriously can lead to the most common type of sleep disorders, insomnia.

Tips on How to Handle Sleeping Problems in Teenagers:

Parents can be a really great help in overcoming sleeping problems to their child or children who are teenagers. Parents can give tips or help their teenagers in falling and getting enough amount and quality sleep every single day.

1. Parents or guardians should have to make sure that their teenagers will get at least 8 hours to 9 hours of sleep per night. However, there will really be times that will prevent teenagers to fall asleep early, due to schoolwork or other extra-curricular activities. Just make sure that teenagers will take sleeping as a priority and they should be encouraged to do schoolwork earlier during the day for them to be able to sleep early.
2. If your teenager was sleep deprived during weekdays, you can permit or allow your him or her to sleep in during the weekends. Allowing them to sleep in once in a while can help make up for the sleep lost during weekdays.
3. Encourage teenagers not to drink any caffeinated beverages after lunch (soda, coffee, tea, energy drinks). Consuming caffeine after 1 p.m can prevent them from falling asleep at night.
4. If possible, encourage your teenager to limit time spent on surfing the internet, texting, or even watching television. Encourage them to spend time doing schoolwork or even sleeping, instead of using too much time on electronic gadgets.
5. If possible, your teen should have a regular bedtime to follow. And your teen should have a nightly routine before going to bed, such as taking a warm bath, drinking a glass of warm milk, etc. Having a nightly routine can act as a signal to the brain that he or she is ready to fall asleep.