The onset of puberty brings changes in the parts of the brain that govern the sleep/wake cycle, or circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm is our biological clock; it runs on roughly a 24 hour cycle and appears to be reset each day by exposure to sunlight. In teens, the biological clock shifts so that if teens were allowed to create their own sleep and wake cycle, they would naturally go to sleep at about 1am and wake at about 10am. But why does the biological clock shift in adolescence? Researchers aren't sure, but they do know that teens also need more sleep than children or adults.
Teens need between nine and ten hours of sleep each night. The onset of puberty brings greater demands for sleep because hormones, the chemicals which cause all of the biological changes during puberty, are released primarily at night. Most teens don't get the sleep they need and suffer sleep deprivation. Interestingly, many of the correlates of sleep deprivation are similar to those thought to be "typical" of adolescence and puberty: irritability, moodiness, changes in school performance, and changes in motivation. Perhaps the characteristics that we associate with adolescence are really a function of sleep deprivation!
How can teens deal with these problems?
1. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake at roughly the same time each morning.
2. On the weekends, don't sleep more than two hours later than usual.
3. Each night, slowly ease into sleepiness with relaxation techniques.
4. Try chamomile tea about 30 minutes before bed.
5. First thing in the morning, expose yourself to sunlight. This resets the biological clock.
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