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Sleep more important than ever for teens
Author: Jonathan Warren
While good sleep is important for all ages of life, a new study has highlighted how crucial slow-wave, or "deep sleep", is for adolescents. Building on previous research, which showed that the parts of the brain that control puberty first become active during sleep, the study at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital found a link between deep sleep and the triggers for the hormones that activate puberty.
Study leader Dr Natalie Shaw said if the findings are true, it becomes more important than ever that adolescents get adequate and undisturbed sleep every night. "This is particularly true for children who have been diagnosed with sleep disorders, but may also have more widespread implications as recent studies have found that most adolescents get less sleep than they require," she said.
As puberty can be a stressful time for teenagers, some may find their sleep patterns are disrupted - sometimes for several years at a time. Doctors advise that sleep-deprived teens try taking a bath before bedtime, listening to soft music or going to bed earlier and reading in order to get into a relaxed state of mind. If problems persist, it may be worth visiting your GP.
