Adolescent Hormones and Sleep
Most parents are surprised when their sweet children become teenage monsters. They have probably been warned, but still the strength of the change is a challenge. When puberty strikes, a lot of changes occur in the teenager’s system.
At the onset of puberty there is a rise in the amount of growth stimulating hormone that is released into the blood stream at night. So too little sleep during this period can stunt growth. Also at the start of puberty there is a drop in the level of melatonin – the hormone that helps regulate other hormones and maintains the body’s circadian rhythm – the internal 24-hour time-keeping system.
Some sex hormones have a close relationship with the sleep cycle during puberty. These hormones – testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are released in small amounts during childhood, but not at any particular time of day. During puberty, however, all three are released in much larger quantities, and all three are released mostly during sleep. This again emphasizes the importance of adequate sleep for teens (about 9 hours).
Related Articles
- How Much Sleep do Children and Adolescents Need?There really is not a fixed amount of sleep that is correct for any child. This table shows some average, or typical values. Of course, for babies and toddlers, their sleep time contains one or several naps. A baby is not born with adult circadian rhythm – they distribute their sleeping over the whole day
- Consumption of Highly Caffeinated Beverages and Late-Night Technology Use Results in Poor Sleep for AdolescentsAdolescents often struggle to obtain a sufficient amount of sleep during the school week due to a biological change that occurs during puberty, which makes falling asleep in time to obtain the required 8-10 hours of sleep for full restoration difficult. Students who use multiple forms of technology late into the night and consume caffeinated
- How Do I Put My Baby To Sleep?A newborn baby’s biological clock is not established for several months. Newborns sleep up to 20 hours in 6 or 7 episodes spread through day and night. Once the biological clock is established, there are different ideas about how the parents should go about putting the baby to sleep.
Recent Comments