| By Tara Shekouri |
Sleep is a fundamental part of overall health, especially for teenagers in such critical years of development and growth. Many adolescents struggle with receiving enough sleep for a number of reasons such as academic/work pressure, excessive technology usage, etc. Grasping the importance of sleep as well as the effects of sleep deprivation is the first step to building healthy sleep habits. In this post, we will explore the various areas of how sleep impacts adolescents and provide useful and practical tips to ensure you gain the rest you need to thrive.
Emotional Health
A lack of sleep causes noticeable differences in one’s mood, such as heightened emotional reactions and grumpiness. Long-term, the impacts can be more detrimental for teenagers who are growing more toward responsibility, relationships, and independence. Furthermore, the lack of energy as a result of poor sleeping habits can lead to a suffering social life, feeling isolated, and lonely. Inadequate sleep over a longer period can result in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations. It can also lead to adopting a risk-taking behaviour.
Thinking, Memory, and Academic Performance
Sleep plays a major role in memory, concentration, focus, and analytical/expansive thinking. Without proper sleep, one can feel easily confused, thereby hindering their ability to follow through with tasks that involve logical reasoning or deep deliberation, such as taking a test or preparing for a school presentation. Additionally, insufficient sleep can hamper judgment, making decision-making and ultimately managing one’s behaviour more difficult. It is also crucial to note that during sleep, the nerve connections creating memories are strengthened. Receiving enough sleep aids in the processing of new information after waking up, and on the other hand, sleeping after acquiring information helps turn the knowledge into memories so that it is stored in the brain. Retaining learned information is extremely important in order to succeed academically, as it allows students to build on previous knowledge, progressively understand complex concepts, and perform well in exams and assignments.
Physical Health and Growth
Sleep is essential to the function of several activities in the human body—from aiding with the recovery of tissues and muscles, to regulating hormones, and empowering the immune system. Adolescence is an important phase in physical development, and a lack of sleep can be detrimental to it. In fact, a lack of sleep during this time frame of one’s life can lead to a troubling metabolic profile, measured based on blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other indicators. These discoveries may increase the risk of serious issues such as long-term cardiovascular conditions. On top of that, inadequate sleep triggers an increased release of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, in turn making the skin appear as though it is aging quicker by wearing down collagen.
Helpful Tips
If you experience feeling constantly sleepy and tired, consider some of the suggestions below:
Create a dark, quiet, and peaceful environment in your bedroom when it is bedtime.
During the weekend, try to wake up at a time that is within 2–4 hours maximum of your usual wake time on weekdays.
Try your best to go to bed at the same time each night.
Open the curtains or turn the lights on immediately after waking up in the morning.
Engage in daily physical activity.
Avoid caffeinated products after three o’clock in the afternoon.
Avoid taking naps longer than 30 minutes during the day; refrain from taking them in the hours preceding bedtime.
Use your bed solely for sleep; avoid completing tasks, eating, watching television, talking on the phone, and so on in bed.
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