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Milwaukee (3/29/2006) - Many adolescents are falling asleep in class, arriving late to school and driving drowsy because of a lack of sleep that gets worse as they get older, according to a poll released today by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
In a national survey on the sleep patterns of U.S. adolescents ages 11-17 years, NSF's 2006 Sleep in America poll finds that only 20 percent of adolescents get the recommended nine hours of sleep on school nights and 45 percent sleep less than eight hours on school nights. Additionally, most parents have little knowledge about their adolescents' sleep. Ninety percent of parents polled believe their adolescent is getting enough sleep on school nights.
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Sleep Center staff is not surprised by the findings. As Wisconsin's only board-certified pediatric sleep specialists dedicated solely to children, they diagnose and treat children of all ages with respiratory, non-respiratory and behavioral sleep disorders.
"Parents play a key role in helping their adolescents develop and maintain healthy sleep habits," said Tom Rice, MD, director of the Sleep Center at Children's Hospital. "It is important for parents and adolescents to talk about sleep and learn more about good sleep habits in order to manage teens' busy schedules."
The poll indicates that insufficient sleep affects nearly every aspect of teenage life, including:
-At least once a week, 28 percent of high school students fall asleep in school and 14 percent arrive late or miss school because they oversleep.
-More than one-half (51 percent) of adolescent drivers have driven drowsy during the past year and 15 percent of drivers in grades 10-12 drive drowsy at least once a week.
-Twenty-eight percent of adolescents say they're too tired to exercise.
As children reach adolescence, their circadian rhythms, or internal clocks tend to shift, causing teens to naturally feel more alert later at night and wake up later in the morning. This can make it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. More than one-half (54 percent) of high school seniors go to bed at 11 p.m. or later on school nights. However, the survey finds that adolescents wake up around 6:30 a.m. in order to go to school, leaving many without the sleep they need.
The Sleep Center at Children's Hospital makes these recommendations for helping your child get more sleep and a better night's sleep:
Set a consistent bedtime and wake-time (even on weekends) that allows for the recommended nine or more hours of sleep every night. Have a relaxing bedtime routine, such as reading for fun or taking a warm bath or shower. Keep the bedroom comfortable, dark, cool and quiet. Create a sleep-friendly environment by removing TVs and other distractions from the bedroom and setting limits on usage before bedtime. Avoid caffeine after lunchtime.
NSF released the poll findings as part of its 9th annual National Sleep Awareness Week campaign, March 27 to April 2.
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