Girls and The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is probably the most underrated skill that we are taught as kids. it is something that drives every part of our life including our growing body, how we learn information, and even our mental health. However, there isn't much importance put on it like there is on reading, writing, sports, and math. Sleep is as importnat to your health as air, water, and food.
The average amount of sleep that teenagers get is between 7 and 8 hours. However, they need between 9 and 9 ½ hours (studies show that most teenagers need exactly 9 ¼ hours of sleep). That being said, one article from The ChildMind Institute noted that 60 to 70% of American teens live with a borderline to severe sleep debt. That means at least 6 of the 10 teens you know are functioning on much less sleep than their bodies and brains need.
Why It Is So Important?
For both boys and girls the impact of sleep deprivation has on them has overlapping issues but there are a few areas that can be even more proofed for girls.
Brain, Behavior, and Mood.
When you get too little sleep your brain gets foggy and you can lost skills with attention, memory, self regulation (controlling your reaction to things), reaction time, and even creativity. All of these things are not only important in school but with your social circles and family. In an article by ChildMind Institute, Dr. Ryan C. Meldrum explained the way a lack of sleep can influence self control this way:
“There’s a theory that views self-control not as a stable personality trait, but as something that is
subject to the strains and stressors of the environment that people have to navigate on a daily basis.
So imagine that self-control is like a muscle.
If we exert a lot of energy and expend a lot of effort we need rest and
recuperation in order to restore one’s ability to self-regulate.”
The changes in your brain and brain chemicals then impact your thoughts and emotions are often really impacted. Little things can set you off when hey normally wouldn’t. This not only impacts the way you react to your family but also can influence the way your perceive things happening with friends and at school. Feelings and actions of others feel more personal, they are exaggerated and then so id your response. The look that teacher gave you, the way a friend told you to slow down when you were talking, or the lack of response you are getting for a social media post. All of the things that you can normally be rational and logical about tend to be a little more overwhelming. You might feel more feelings of irritability, crankiness and frustrated more easily.
Drowsiness while driving - If you are driving, it is also important to understand that teenagers are at the highest risk for falling asleep at the wheel. One time during the day that people often forget about drowsy drivers is right in the middle of after school driving … mid-afternoon (3:00 to 4:00 PM). Without good sleep, you might fall into this category too feeling the afternoon energy slump.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-effects-of-sleep-deprivation
There are many reasons why teens get a lack of proper sleep. Some of the causes are irregular sleep patterns (little sleep during the week and sleeping in all day on weekends), homework, extracurricular activities (like sports, dance, or other after school events), earlier start times in middle and high school, and of course technology.
On top of all this, the pressure to stay awake is at an all time high with teens these days. Whether it is the success-driven model of preparing for college, or the allure of social media into the wee hours of the night. The latter is the most concerning for the impact on good sleep because there has been documented research that indicates scene time at night before bed leads to poor sleep and even an increase in depressive symptoms.
“The problem of sleep-phase delay is exacerbated when teens are exposed late at night to lit screens, which send a message via the retina to the portion of the brain that controls the body’s circadian clock. The message: It’s not nighttime yet.”
- William Dement -
NEW RESEARCH
Girls may be more impacted
Some new research indicates that girls ight be more impacted by a lack of sleep than boys which can cause a number of problems. The results from one recent study found teenager girls were more likely than boys to:
- Have a harder time staying awake in class, in the morning and afternoon
- Have more trouble staying awake to do homework
- Feel less motivated about school
- Miss school as a result of feeling tired
- Feel too tired to spend time with friends
- Take naps on the weekends
Tips for Getting Some Good Zzzzzz's
Setup A Solid Sleep Pattern & Routine
When you have irregular patterns like sleeping a little during the week and then trying to catch up on weekends it makes it hard to get back on track Sunday night to get ready again. Keeping a regular sleep pattern with a bedtime that is fairly regular helps you to stay consistent and keep the commitment to a regular number of hours each night. Establishing regular time (preferably no later than 9:30pm) to get in bed (without electronics) and regular time to wake up will start to help your body get in sync with its natural patterns so you feel less tired during the day. If you plan a regular routine (music, guided mediation, reading, etc that you do when you climb in bed your body begins to understand this as a signal for sleep. After doing this for awhile, your body will naturally start to fall asleep at bedtime.
Limit the Tech Before Bed
When you have irregular patterns like sleeping a little during the week and then trying to catch up on weekends it makes it hard to get back on track Sunday night to get ready again. Keeping a regular sleep pattern with a bedtime that is fairly regular helps you to stay consistent and keep the commitment to a regular number of hours each night. Establishing regular time (preferably no later than 9:30pm) to get in bed (without electronics) and regular time to wake up will start to help your body get in sync with its natural patterns so you feel less tired during the day. If you plan a regular routine (music, guided mediation, reading, etc that you do when you climb in bed your body begins to understand this as a signal for sleep. After doing this for awhile, your body will naturally start to fall asleep at bedtime.
This is definitely not he popular solution that teens want but it is imperative to a good night’s sleep. Many teens I know sleep with their phones by their bed and some even have difficulty turning off their phones so they receive messages throughout the night from others, interrupting their sleep. Even if you are not one of these people, using electronic devices 1-2 hours before bed can have a dramatic impact on your sleep diet. Electronic screens give off a “blue light” that signals your brain to slow down the production of an important chemical for sleep (Melatonin). This lowers your ability to go to sleep and stay asleep easily. If you are interested in learning more about the specifics of this start here.
Turning off and storing electronics outside of your room
at least 2 hours before bed
is essential in developing a good sleep routine.
If you have homework to do that requires a computer make sure to try to do it early in the evening so that you can put the computer away hours before you turn in for the night. If you do choose to keep your phone in your room, make sure to switch it to AIRPLANE MODE or use blue light filtering apps like IRIS or F.lux.
Use other healthy habits that coordinate with sleep
Work on developing healthy self-care, eating, and exercise habits to supplement your sleep. These thing go together and if you can follow a healthy lifestyle it supports your sleep as well. Some basic rules to try to follow as best you can include:
* Don’t substitute energy pills, vitamins or drinks for good sleep.
* Watch how much caffeine you drink during the day, especially around bedtime.
* Try to avoid eating or drinking to close to bedtime
* Schedule your homework time to end at least 2 hours before you go to bed
* Get at least 30 minutes of some type of exercise or outdoor time every day
* Keep a journal by your bed and use it to jot down ideas, thoughts, worry, or to-dos before bed so it doesn’t become a thought loop that keeps you awake.