Adolescent Hormones and Sleep

At the onset of puberty, the level of the hormone melatonin in the pubescent drops. Sex hormones increase. These hormones are also linked to the sleep cycle as they are mostly released during sleep. Adequate sleep is very important during this period of development.

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  • 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.
July 23rd, 2009 | Tags: , , | Category: Child and Adolescent Sleep | Leave a comment

Blue Light Stimulates Circadian System, Improves Sleep

Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., tested whether a device used to deliver blue light directly to the eyes would affect circadian rhythms — the body’s internal clock that regulates when and how much people sleep and other biological cycles.
“Light and dark patterns are the major synchronizer of circadian rhythms to the [...]

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  • 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
  • Good SleepSome new research suggests the purpose of sleep is to restore the synapses. If we have a sleep deficit we don’t function as well and may fall asleep at the wrong moment, endangering our self and others. There are simple things we can do to improve sleep.
  • Can Multiple Naps Replace Regular Sleep?Pioneers have been experimenting with reduced sleep schedules based on taking multiple short naps, or a core longer sleep with one or more naps. The so-called Uberman schedule, consisting of 6 naps of 20-30 minutes each, seems to be tough to keep up.
June 7th, 2009 | Tags: , | Category: Good Sleep | Leave a comment

Better Sleep for Shift Workers

According to a study in the Dec 2008 issue of the journal Sleep, the use of light exposure therapy, dark sunglasses and a strict sleep schedule can help night-shift workers create a “compromise circadian phase position,” with better increased performance and alertness during night shifts. It also allows adequate nighttime sleep on days off.
“The [...]

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June 6th, 2009 | Tags: , , | Category: Sleep Problems & Disorders | Leave a comment