Are Your Teens Getting Junk Sleep?

Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:22PM EDT

See Comments (464)

I think we all know the kind of sleep you get when you decide to go to bed with a TV blaring. It's not good. But I like the name The Sleep Council in Britain gives to the kind of sleep teens get when they go to sleep watching TV, listening to music, or using other electronic gadgets: "junk sleep."

A poll of 1,000 kids, ages 12 to 16, found that 30 percent go on four to seven hours of sleep a night, far from the recommended eight or nine or more that teens often get when they can. As Reuters reports, nearly all of the teenagers surveyed had a phone, music system, or TV in their bedroom and two-thirds of them had all three. What, no PC, too? A 2005 Pew Internet & American Life project study found that 26 percent of U.S. teens spent time online in their bedrooms, and that's two years ago.

As Helene Emsellem, a sleep physician, told the NPR's Allison Aubrey, "As we have more and more ways to stay connected at night, we've seen an exaggeration of the night-owlism in teenagers." Research shows that teens' internal clocks shift toward much later sleep times, and tech that keeps teens engaged and not relaxed doesn't help—especially when they have to get up early for school.

Check out Emsellem's recommendations to help teens sleep better in the article. (Link below) For starters, she tells parents to take TVs out of teens' bedrooms, enforce turn-off times on PCs and phones—every tech gadget except music players. Ensellem encourages teens to listen to music at night—but tune into a soothing playlist, on low volume, that helps them relax and go to sleep.

If you've got more tips to help kids de-tech at the end of the day and get the sleep they need, please post them below.

LINKS: "Junk sleep" damaging teenagers' health [Reuters via Yahoo! News]
Helping teens make peace with sleep [NPR]

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  • 26 Posted by ferrets218@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm a teen, and over the summer we all get into a stay up late wake up late pattern. So when school starts we crash with the early hours, and struggle to get to sleep early enough. So a week or two before school starts I start going to sleep at a reasonable hour and waking up early to get ready for school. It helps!

  • 28 Posted by strongbodieshandf on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    If parents and children alike spent more time participating in physical activity and less time sitting around infront of screens, on phones and in cars then there would be no problem with anyone getting good deep restful sleep. It has been proven time and time again that those that participate in some gentle to vigorous physical activity on a regular basis sleep and perform well above those who do not.

  • 29 Posted by soccerjoe50 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Everything that has been said about that is wrong. I understand that yes you need to get 9 hrs of sleep but who cares if i have a t.v. in my room. Its my room and i can have what ever i want in there. I have a t.v., computer, stero system, ps2, and an xbox 360 in there and i am still a straight A student. I think that instead of getting rid of it all together, you should learn to limit yourselves with this stuff.

  • 30 Posted by avatarofurdreams@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Additionally... There are all sorts of studies out that show that the increase in ADD & ADHD is partially caused by kid's watching so much tv before the age of 5. (The most important brain developing times) That "Baby Network" that Dish Network just launched should be criminal... There is NO EVIDENCE that "Educational Programing" helps kid's under 5 and LOTS of evidence that it will hardwire their brains to require constant stimulation leading to ADHD. If your a parent or ever even thinking of breeding then PLEASE!! For the love of your children!!! DO NOT let them watch TV until over the age of 5 years old. Please... Something as stupid as TV can jack them up for LIFE! Check out these articles from Live Science: TV Turns Kids Into Bullies http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/050404_bullies.html Multimedia Babies: What's a Parent to Do? http://www.livescience.com/health/ap_060515_baby_multi.html The Downside of TV Dinners http://www.livescience.com/healthday/603431.html That's the take-home message of a new study that found that, in low-income families with preschool children, the positive effect of eating dinner as a family tends to be negated by watching television at the same time. TV Food Ads Lead to Weight Gain in Kids: Study http://www.livescience.com/healthday/603973.html

  • 31 Posted by my5bunnies@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Why would you allow a tv in your kids room? To allow the tv to teach your kid what is right from wrong? So you can watch what you want in peace? Lazy parent! Most teens DON'T NEED A CELL PHONE!!!! We grew up without one just fine. Need to call home? Payphone;collect! "What if I can't come home on time?" We made it home on time or suffer the consequences regardless. We gained discipline and responsability. No calls after a certain time a hardship? Shoot! If our friends ever dared to call after 10 pm, my parents would remind them that people work in our house and asked to call tomorrow. Why are people spoiling their kids? WHY? Is it yet another way to show off? Look what I have! Look what my kids have! Which leads to the point. Don't be afraid that your child will not be your friend because you put your foot down. Kids need boundries. Also, I too thought my system was a perfect working machine. It was while my kids were little. As they became teens I had to adapt, not much but some. Some rules were flexible and some were not. Sleep is golden in our house, so is silence. We feel if we teach our kids to respect their sleep they will reep the rewards all of their lives. Don't even get me started on computers in their rooms!

  • 32 Posted by rearviewmirror@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    The more you enforce rules and stop them from making decisions themselves, the more rebellious they will get. Eventually, they could just hate you. Give them freedom, and see if they learned anything from you when they were younger. Most parents are afraid to let kids go and make their own decisions because they're afraid to see if they've done a good job so far. The kids can have a different lifestyle than you, so let them. You're there to ensure they don't hurt themselves, or make bad life-altering decisions, not boss them around, and nitpick.

  • 33 Posted by cdlenana@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    I always read to my kids at night when they were little. They both were able to pick out one book each. Now when my grand kids spend the night I only have one rule: NO TV on here at all. We communicate, read, tell stories, or do projects. I notice that they sleep very peaceful here. Their lives are way to busy and yes way to much TV at their house. So here it is about getting reconnected with humans. NO GADGETS AT NANA'S.

  • 34 Posted by pureathletics on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    It all comes down to how well we parent our children. For example, my two teenage boys have been in constant contact with gadgets, electronics, computers, TVs, ect. ect. their entire lives because of my job in the tech industry. It is important to them and impotant to me that their knowledge about technology be vast, however, i believe their learning has increased due to technology, so I disagree with parents who blame technology for their kids's probolems. My boys are multi spot athletes, eat well and are great students. It has been my goal to keep them as active as possible with school and sports, so long as they are successful at both, that by he time they get home in the evenings the eat, do their homework and have some time to rest and relax while enjoying technology before the go to sleep. I have made this a fairly strict routine that they have appreciated and followed enough to the point that it becomes merely repetition. My kids are happy and successful because I have made it very clear where the extracuricular activity with gadgets and games begins and where work begins. I monitor them well and help them when they need it. I have always encouraged other parents to keep their kids busy with activities and allow for some relaxation at the end of the day with a strict regiment of diet and good uniterrupted sleep at night.

  • 35 Posted by tracydolphingirl@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am a college student and when i am either stressed or i just can't sleep becuase of wanting to stay up later to talk to friends i find it best to sign off the computer turn off the tv. and get in bed and read a chapter or two in a book. this works well for me by getting me in a different state of mind and i am far more relaxed when i fall asleep. nine times out of ten i read and want to go to sleep right away. i also find that listening to music works to just at a quiet level and on an ipod or cd as opposed to the radio beuase the radio has voices that would wake me up and i would have to start the whole process again... hope that helps!

  • 36 Posted by andk94@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    Here is a "new" idea...go to your local public library and check out a book and READ before going to bed. Let the kids use their imaginations,support your community by borrowing a book from the library and save a little money by turning the electronic stuff off!!

  • 37 Posted by citylove611@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    Some kids dont get enough sleep because by the time they're done with their homework its like 8 or 9 at night so they watch tv for a couple of hours. Its the schools we should blame. totally.

  • 38 Posted by adconner@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    Set a good example for your kids....mine have video games, mp3 players, computers and the like, they also go along with rules...like what hours they can play them, and when they have to be turned off....my kids also have a bedtime...which i see many parents not enforcing. I have 2 tv's in my home, one is the family tv, and the other is only used for the ps 2, which is rarely on. The computers are routed to mine, so when my modem is shut off by 9pm, they have no internet, plus, if i find the computer on after that, they get it taken out of their rooms (15 and 10 yr olds).As with anything else, show them to use these gadgets in moderation, we are in the computer world, they use them at school, library and at home, so really there is nothing else to do but set guidelines for them to follow, and if they don't, then give them a consequence.

  • 39 Posted by adconner@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    I also believe that noone should knock the computer, it is to an extent educational, so is the tv....and since we live in a gadget oriented society and world today, there is nothing we can do but set rules, be the parents. Also, i have read the comments posted on here, about "back in the day", well, i grew up with no computer, i grew up using my imagination, and being outdoors...but you also have to look at the perspective of what is going on in our childrens environments...school uses computers and tv's, libraries use computers, colleges the same....so, what is one to do?? Also, alot of children don't go to bed at 8pm, like back in the old days, they live busier lives, and have more to do nowadays. In fact, i know of several children who are in sports, after school they practice, or have games and are not back home until 9pm or later...so you cannot always blame technology for interfering in sleep patterns. I have always believed in giving my kids the things that i never had, but with that in mind, i also set rules....that is the best thing to do as a parent.

  • 41 Posted by cmgunn@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    what ever happen to family time? getting to know your family? this generation is all about self and not getting hurt and avoiding pain. who said children need all these gadgets in the first place. they are just money makers and everyone has fallen for them. self control and some parenting skills are in order here, children and parents would get there sleep and happier families who actually care about each other and needs would be met. Like Love! there is so much to be learned from this study and others hello are we waking up to what they are trying to tell us.

  • 42 Posted by cmgunn@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    what ever happen to family time? getting to know your family? this generation is all about self and not getting hurt and avoiding pain. who said children need all these gadgets in the first place. they are just money makers and everyone has fallen for them. self control and some parenting skills are in order here, children and parents would get there sleep and happier families who actually care about each other and needs would be met. Like Love! there is so much to be learned from this study and others hello are we waking up to what they are trying to tell us.

  • 44 Posted by youknowyoulikeme@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    well for one tell them to brush their teeth before they go to bed. the mint flavor has a tendancy to waken you. and the warm showers helps lull them to sleep. i had a brother who fell asleep in the shower. and make sure that they don't have too much on their mind and if they do tell them to write it in a journal so it's off their mind and they can just look at it in the journal the next day, i actually did that last night and it helped alot.

  • 45 Posted by zachscience1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    some kid/teens today don't like to "go outside and play"

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