Why Do Some Teenagers Oversleep?

There is one stereotype that many teenagers gladly represent: oversleeping. It is not uncommon to see a drowsy, sloppily dressed teen return to the world of the living after a long period of hibernation. However, many families are deeply concerned that maybe their teenagers sleep too much. If you are concerned that your child is oversleeping, there are some possible reasons and solutions.

First of all, you teenager might be getting less sleep than you imagine. Teenagers have found a million ways to evade "bedtime", and this can interfere with you calculation of sleeping hours. If your child wakes up at three in the afternoon, it is possible that your child has still only slept perhaps eight or nine hours. Teenagers may stay awake to chat, watch television, or to finally do that project that should have been started a week ago. It is important to know what time your child actually went to sleep before you start assuming that your child is getting too much sleep.

Recent studies have concluded that teenagers have distinct sleeping patterns. The "internal clock", known as your body's circadian rhythm, is different for teenagers. Your teen's body might be telling your child to fall asleep later and wake up later. Scientists believe that this is because the teenager body produces a hormone known as melatonin later in the night, and this might make it harder for your teenager to fall asleep. If this is the case for your teenager, sites such as KidsHealth.org contain suggestions for getting better sleep, such as exercising regularly and avoiding stimulants.

The Psychology Today website has posted an article that describes some of the correlations between psychiatric disorders and teen sleeping patterns. Insomnia and oversleeping have both been regarded as symptoms of teenage depression, so you should monitor your teenager's other behaviors. However, oversleeping and insomnia have now been linked to contributing to depression that begins in the teen years. Therefore, it is very important to resolve any sleep issues that your child may have.

Work with your teenager to eliminate bad sleeping habits. Such habits include daytime napping, consuming stimulants (like coffee) close to bedtime, and late night chatting or television watching. These behaviors can make it difficult to fall asleep and wake up at appropriate times. Creating and maintaining a routine can also help, but it is difficult to hold a regular schedule in a teenager's life.

It might be very important for your teenager to try to get 8 ½-9 hours of sleep each night, but this is often difficult during the more volatile years of your child's life. Some habits are very difficult to break, but your child deserves all of the help you can provide.

http://www.kidshealth.org/

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/take_care/how_much_sleep.html

http://www.psychologytoday.com/

http://www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20070309-000001.html