Causes of Teenage Sleep Deprivation

Adolescence is a time of changes – physical body changes, changes in outlook and ways of thinking, changes in the social environment, emotional changes and sometimes, teenage sleep deprivation. All of these changes impose immense pressure on the growing teenager who has to cope and adjust to all the changes going on all at the same time within and around himself. This is why teenage sleep deprivation is very common and almost every teenager at one time or another goes through some form of sleeplessness.

Teenage sleep deprivation may seem to many parents as just a passing behavioral peculiarity among adolescents that will soon go away by itself. However, when prolonged over long periods, teenage sleep deprivation can be harmful to the teener’s health, and in some cases, not only on the physical health but also on the child’s mental health. A parent would do well to find out what’s causing the child’s inability to sleep and do something about it.

Sleep Deprivation Causes

What could possibly bring about sleep deprivation in teenagers? The most common sleep deprivation cause in young adolescents is stress. If you suspect that your child is undergoing a lot of stress, find out what is causing the stress and help him in managing it. Stress can come from added responsibilities that come with growing up but he is yet unable to handle, or from a lot of expectations from parents, from peers, or in school.

Another possible sleep deprivation cause is drugs. Many teenagers get lured into taking drugs, perhaps because their friends are taking them and he wants to be in with the group, or perhaps just out of a desire to experiment. Drug-taking is a serious problem that parents should immediately do something about from the outset before the problem gets worse.

It is best to be conscious always of your teenage child’s health, the way he manifests his emotions and adjusts to his social circles, how he performs in school. At the very first signs of teenage sleep deprivation, find out what is causing it, and look into the possible causes. Get help from a doctor or psychologist if you have to.

It is also good to let your child understand that getting enough sleep is important to their health. Some teenagers tend to take their health for granted and are more concerned about their new-found interests, like friendships (especially friends of the opposite sex). Tell them that they will be better able to pursue these interests if they have had enough sleep and are on the whole healthy.