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]

Top 5 Posts

Comments on Are Your Teens Getting Junk Sleep?

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 6 Posted by susan.stitch@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    Why do kids have these things in their rooms in the first place? It seems like we, as a society, are happy to 'get rid of' the kids (by keeping them in their rooms, even if it's doing fun things) instead of being together as a family. We don't allow telephones, computers, or tvs in bedrooms...bedrooms are for sleeping. Kids don't need all this stuff...they should go outside and play

  • 7 Posted by davidmask@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    Not only does noise affect sleep, but nutrion as well. I am a student in highschool that only eats major health foods. Those energy drinks that give all of your kids energy highs are terrible not only to your sleep but also for your body. The only source of caffeine I recomend are natural sources like, tea, coffee, etc. But even then I only drink one cup of plain black coffee every morning. Those energy drinks may have as much caffeine as coffee but, they are also highly processed which can lead to your organs failing in the future. Cokes EAT your stomache and other organs away. Diet coke has seven times the amount of caffeine that real coke has, and chemicals that have not been studied on a long term basis. The best way to get energy is by working out in the morning and if you are building muscle is Weight Gainers or protein. The reason being is the fact that these drinks are usually not just pure protein, but they also have complex carbohydrates that you body knows how to use properlly,as well as a little fat that is needed to keep your systems working right,(but only a little fat). Where as those energy drinks are pure unatural sugar and caffeine which your body does not know how to process, therefore leading to a huge sugar and caffeine high that eventually falls beneath you. But even then you must watch out because if you don't get adaquate water and have too much protein you can also hurt your kidneys. With this being said all unatural energy drinks will take away from the sleep that is so dear to all of us to make our next school day. But there are alternatives to getting the proper energy for your day, so your will be able to sleep the proper amount of time nearly every night.

  • 8 Posted by stevemoser@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is a very interesting topic, I am 52 years old and grew up in a family that represented some peculiar extremes regarding watching television or any other activity for that matter. My father was in the Air Force and an electronics technician. He repaired radios and TVs as a sideline for much-needed extra cash. I had my first TV in my bedroom when I was five years old. Our home was to say the least a very disciplined setting. Bedtime was bedtime!, whether there was a TV in the room or not. That was true, even in my high school and early community college days. Homework was a very structured, scheduled and supervised affair (not to mention regular household chores). We were in bed by 9 and it was total lights out. Friday night by contrast, we could stay up late (past ten o'clock) and watch Star Trek. Saturday morning was also an unchallenged ritual for my siblings and I, it was our weekly kid oriented goof off time. Though there was a TV in every bedroom,the time to watch television was very limited in our home. Saturday nights in my high school days, I was in bed , in my PJs, watching Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart and the CBS late-night movie. I really enjoyed these peaceful personal timeouts by myself. Overall, we should not blame the technology or the entertainment industry. There is a lot more entertainment on tap these days,but there isn't more time in the week, so the solution is a behavioral one. Families need to regain the art of living in a structured, well supervised, disciplined and reasonably accommodating manner. My mother used to say "you do not childproof the house, you houseproof the kid.".

  • 9 Posted by act_ions_now on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    Spychic, I understand that. I haven't watched tv for over 6 years. No news, games shows, dramas, reality tv. I will see a show here and there at a friends house. I read a book, pop in a movie or maybe play a video game once in a while. When I tell people that, they act as if there is something wrong with me. I will agree with the Dory on the music. I live in the city. The quietest time of day is 10:45 am. I focus on the music to drown out all the other noise.

  • 10 Posted by vinejudy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    My grandson is living with me now. He is 11 years old and unlike what he was accustomed to, he has no now has no music, no tv or other distractions while doing his homework which comes first. After his homework he is allowed to have tv, music or computer games in the livingroom. He has an alarm that goes off at 9:00 PM for a shower and depending on how active he was during the day and how respectful he is to others...he either goes to bed after his shower or he has until 10:00 PM on school nights. He's being doing great and usually has 10:00 PM bedtime on Friday and Saturday nights he can stay up to 12 but usually doesn't and sleeps as late as he wants, usually about 8:30 AM. He does go to sleep with music, tv or other distractions.

  • 11 Posted by baiserlalune on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am 16, I've had music in my room for a number of years. I find it actually helps me sleep on some nights, although, if I leave it on all night, I tend to wake up more throughout the night. I'm pretty good at telling if it's a night where I need the music to sleep or not. TVs, Computers, phones, I think belong outside the bedroom. I watch very little TV. But I think a music system is just fine to have in a teen's room. Music is something teens connect to, and I listen throughout the day.

  • 12 Posted by kjazz50 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree with no tvs in bedrooms.. a family room where at least you get a "teen sighting" is better. Favorite programs can be watched together and discussed, laughed about etc..make it interactive, with all the commercial time, plenty of time for talk. All phones,pcs, iPods, off by 10pm school nights. Music is fine, set the timer to turn off in one hour on the radio, music gadget etc. Allow for reading time, up to one hour, at night. This is a good lifelong habit to set, and allows teens time for pleasure reading, something most give up after elementary or middle school. They are so stressed with homework and tech gadgets...no time for reading anything not required..Plenty of time for that sort of stress and time crunching during college years. Set a good example by turning off YOUR tv, get off the computer; read or listen to classical or instrumental music before bedtime. I found it necessary, at 15 & 16 to take cell phones out of my daughter's bedrooms at 11pm on school nights (they did not have their own land lines, we used one as a Family). We all lived through it and now they thank us. Sounds harsh, but tough love...both cell and home phone was turned off at 11pm...anything important could wait until 6am to check for messages. With current technology, silent "ring", text messaging, some kids are getting less than 4-5hrs of sleep at night. Getting caught up in a drama, boyfriend/girlfriend problems and arguments at bedtiime is not healthy. Sleep deprivation can cause unusual psychological problems, even bring on Bi polar disorder, if it's already there genetically, and certainly causes lose of cognitive sharpness, even sleeping in class. Just my observation and opinion, Karen, mother of two females..

  • 13 Posted by sherillbalagna@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree with Number 2 comment--Silence is Golden Theses kids need to learn to relax on their own--reading before bedtime, shutting down slowly and having control of thenmselves to RELAX.

  • 15 Posted by djt_88@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    NO KID OR TEEN should have a computer in their room. as an adult with teenagers, your not gonna get up three times a night to make sure their not online, your too busy working overtime to pay for all their clothes. word of advice, keep the tvs, and computers in the main living area! It creates less of a chance of them being dishonest, and if they really need some privacy to write that paper, give em two hours while you and your wife/husband go for a walk. My kids get straight A's, but that doesn't mean street smart..by letting them have media (besides a cd/radio) in their room, all your doing is giving them the idea that they have this right to isolation, and privacy that most of today's parents give them too much to begin with.

  • 16 Posted by bharchar on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    Its called parenting! Plain and simple.. this is nothing new.. I had a B&W tv when I was a kid.. my parents took it out of my room becaue I started to watch it late at night.. End of story. Be a parent and get involved. Its easier then you think.

  • 17 Posted by drhabetcarrillo@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have found it to be useful when the lights are off one our before going to sleep. Also, kids with mood disorders (bipolars,...) seem to be have more difficulties mnaging gadgets, particularly when they are in the "up swing". I firmly believe that poor sleep quality is seriously affecting cogntive enhancementand academic performance.

  • 18 Posted by whenning@sbcglobal.net on Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:16AM EDT Report Abuse

    Move along people it's just a another report. How good is the study when you only call 1000 people. We should worry about other issues in the world instead of worrying about if your child has a T.V. Here's a idea how about the parents do their job and watch how often these items are being used and when.

  • 20 Posted by mitymom@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    Shoot, I require all Computers to be kept in the Living Room. That way, when they are playing online they are also socializing with the family. They do have TVs in their rooms but we dont have cable either so their choices are very limited. When they go to bed it usually just quiet, they have their music set to wake them up. Both of my teen boys tend to sleep better for it. Plus we have the bonus of all of us playing online games like World of Warcraft together. Game systems are generally in the Living Room too because their Bed Room TVs are small (on purpose).

  • 21 Posted by amchuba@prodigy.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    as a teen atending high school i believe that sleep is golden. when i stay up all night with my b/f i am groggy and ill tempered the next day. i'm not saying take the kids stuff away but let them see for themselfs how much easier it is to get up in the morning. less parents nagging in the morning. and on the plus you'll probably pay more attention in class and get you stuff done.

  • 23 Posted by gameshowguy2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    You sure taking TV's and computers out of kids' rooms is setting a good example? I think it's setting a HORRIBLE example. There are some doctors out there who suggested that it's setting a good example. Those doctors need to re-examine that, as I think they are just plain wrong (and so are the parents who agree with them). I think TV is somewhat educational to a kid (of course, how much educational TV is is another story).

  • 24 Posted by krh1131 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    My spouse always ends up sleeping on the couch cause he has developed a habit of not being able to sleep without some kind of noise. I suggested a sound machine but that didn't work for him (psychological maybe) He says he thinks his brain is too active without something distracting him. he thinks too much. he is a busy man and cant slow him down. So the tv it is for him. any suggestions??

  • 25 Posted by sheltonclan@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    Absolutely agree with the "set a good example" advice above. We have a TV, but rarely watch it (Olympics, Rose Parade, important news or events) except we have a once a week family movie night. We read, do crafts, build legos,..or room additions!... play games, and (gasp) talk to each other. I have every age from college senior on down, and they are all great students, well adjusted, and lack only the "pop culture knowledge" that would only be important on a quiz show.

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.