The Teen Weekend Sleep-In

A teenager's Internal Body Clock performs the same functions as those of other age groups. But the rhythm of those functions, including the 24-hour sleep/wake cycle, is unique to teenagers no matter where they are in the country. Where sleep is concerned, teenagers do not share the same sleep/wake cycle as their family.

Instead, their sleep/wake cycle is more aligned with their peers - other teenagers. I find that fact more than a little intriguing.

Think about it.
Teenagers throughout the country, whether they know each other or not, share the same Circadian Rhythms. It's hard to get more personal than that. This phenomenon plays out every evening without fail, as teens across the country settle in for their 40-winks two hours or more AFTER their parents and younger siblings shut down for the night. Puberty Changes Everything! As our teens move through puberty, massive changes occur in their body and brain.
One major change is they start getting sleepy later and later at night.
This change is primarily biological, but poor sleep hygiene worsens the condition. Melatonin, the sleep hormone produced in the brain, is released two or more hours later when teens enter puberty.
A teenager's sleep/wake cycle is typically very stressful to parents who are saddled with the job of waking them up each morning.

When yelling doesn't do the trick, we "shake-rattle-and-roll" them out of bed in time for school or whatever extra-curricular activity starts at the crack of dawn.
Sometimes nothing works as well as "the laying on of hands.

" We parents know the drill, but the early morning ritual is never a picnic.
Binge Sleeping on the Weekend There are two schools of thought on the "weekend Sleep-in" or "Binge Sleeping" as some call it.

Both points of view are credible, but here are the facts based on current research: Fact One - Binge sleeping is counterproductive. It confuses the Internal Body Clock and sends mixed messages to the body about when to sleep and when to stay awake.

Fact Two - Teenagers need to sleep. Their brain performs vital functions while they sleep. Learning continues even though the teens are asleep.

Based on the facts, I offer parents a number of recommendations, including those below. • Allow your teen no more than two hours or so to sleep-in on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Do not allow them to sleep away the morning on either day.
• Establish a "Bedroom" curfew that confines your teenager to his or her bedroom whether they sleep or not.
• Establish a "Lights Out" curfew when your teen's bedroom goes dark. • Help your teenager adopt a "good sleep hygiene" regimen.
This will allow him or her to better prepare for and get adequate sleep.
• Cut off all communication outside the house one hour before bedtime. • Shut off or remove all electronic apparatuses (e.
g.
, computer, television, electronic games, etc.

) from your teen's room before your "Lights Out" curfew time.

• Set the alarm clock ringer on "high volume" and put it on the opposite side of the room so that your teen has to get out of bed to turn it off.
Conclusion Many teenagers have some degree of sleep deprivation from time to time.
But teenagers must get adequate sleep to sustain their health and well-being.

The good news is parents can help their teens adopt a "good sleep hygiene" regimen that will make a substantial difference in the quantity and quality of sleep teens get.
The most effective way to do this is to help teens adapt to a consistent sleep pattern that will support and not confuse their Internal Body Clock.
Pulling this off every weekend will be tough, but the quality of your teenager's life will be enhanced immeasurably. When your teen starts getting adequate sleep during the week, there will be little need to Sleep-in on the weekend. This will have a positive impact on the quality of your teenager's life and that of your family.