101 Questions and Answers About Sleep for 12-20 Year Olds
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Teenage Sleep: Understanding and helping the sleep of 12-20 year olds By Dorothy Bruck1 1 Please address all correspondence to: Professor Dorothy Bruck PO Box 14428 Ph: 03 9919 2336 School of Psychology MCMC Fax: 03 9919 2218 Victoria University Melbourne 8001 [email protected] Teenage sleep © Dorothy Bruck 2006 No part of this e-book may be reproduced without explicit acknowledgement of the source. E-published by the Wellness Promotion Unit, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia ISBN 1 86272667 1 2 Teenage sleep ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................9 SOME STRANGE SLEEP FACTS................................................................10 ABOUT THIS E-BOOK..................................................................................11 CHAPTER 1: ALL ABOUT SLEEP .....................................................................15 1.1 How does the need for sleep change across the lifespan?............. 15 1.2 Does the timing of sleep change with puberty? .............................. 16 1.3 Why do teenagers often sleep in on weekends? ............................ 18 1.4 What is a ‘morning’ or ‘evening’ type person? ................................ 20 1.5 Can some people survive on little or no sleep? .............................. 21 1.6 What happens if you don’t sleep at all? .......................................... 21 1.7 How does lack of sleep affect the ability to concentrate, think and learn?.............................................................................................. 23 1.8 What are the consequences of being sleepy for driving?................ 25 1.9 How does lack of sleep affect physical health?............................... 28 1.10 How does lack of sleep affect emotional wellbeing?..................... 28 1.11 Do we only dream during part of our sleep? ................................. 29 1.12 What happens in REM sleep compared to non-REM sleep? ........ 31 1.13 Has our understanding of sleep changed over the centuries? .............................................................................................. 33 1.14 How do we measure sleep?.......................................................... 33 1.15 How do sleep stages change across the night?............................ 35 1.16 How do sleep stages change with age?........................................ 37 1.17 Are some people deeper sleepers than others? ........................... 37 1.18 Why do we need deep sleep?....................................................... 38 3 Teenage sleep 1.19 Can we successfully wake up at a particular time without an alarm clock?...................................................................................... 38 1.20 Why are we sometimes sleepy after lunch?.................................. 39 CHAPTER 2: PROBLEMS OF TEENAGE SLEEP AND SLEEP MEDICINE...........40 2.1 How common are sleep problems in teenagers?............................ 40 2.2 Do teenage boys and girls have different sleep experiences?........ 43 2.3 Are some teenagers more at risk than others? ............................... 43 2.4 How is sleep affected by physical illnesses? .................................. 46 2.5 Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome a sleep disorder? ............................. 47 2.6 Do mental illnesses affect sleep? ................................................... 49 2.7 What is sleep medicine?................................................................. 51 2.8 What are the main types of sleep disorders?.................................. 52 CHAPTER 3: TROUBLE GETTING TO SLEEP OR STAYING ASLEEP – WHY? ...............................................................................................................53 3.1 What is insomnia and how do we know when it’s present? ............ 53 3.2 Are we good at judging the difference between sleep and wake? .................................................................................................... 54 3.3 What does caffeine do to sleep?..................................................... 55 3.4 What does alcohol do to sleep?...................................................... 56 3.5 What does tobacco do to sleep?..................................................... 58 3.6 How do illegal drugs affect our sleep? ............................................ 58 3.7 What are the effects of erratic sleep-wake times? .......................... 59 3.8 Can the problem just be with the timing of sleep, rather than sleep itself?............................................................................................ 60 3.9 Is being a noisy breather or snorer a problem for good sleep? .................................................................................................... 66 3.10 What are the causes and consequences of sleep apnoea?.......... 67 3.11 What if your limbs feel restless before sleep?............................... 68 4 Teenage sleep 3.12 Do many teenagers have night time fears that prevent sleep? .................................................................................................... 69 3.13 How can emotional problems affect sleep? .................................. 70 3.14 What effect does stress have on your body and on sleep?........... 72 3.15 How does stress relate to the development of emotional problems for teenagers?........................................................................ 74 3.16 How can depression affect sleep? ................................................ 75 3.17 Is panic disorder related to sleep? ................................................ 78 3.18 Can poor sleep become a habit? .................................................. 79 CHAPTER 4: TROUBLE GETTING TO SLEEP OR STAYING ASLEEP – WHAT HELPS? ..................................................................................................81 4.1 How can the time needed to fall asleep be shortened? .................. 81 4.2 What helps overcome awakenings during the night?...................... 85 4.3 How can emotions that stop sleep be dealt with? ........................... 85 4.4 Can non-prescription tablets help sleep?........................................ 89 4.5 Can other alternative therapies help? ............................................. 90 4.6 Why do people suggest counting sheep? ....................................... 91 4.7 Can sleeping tablets help and are they a good idea? ..................... 91 4.8 How are sleep apnoea and snoring treated? .................................. 95 4.9 What might help night time fears? .................................................. 96 4.10 How can body rhythm problems be overcome?............................ 97 4.11 What should be expected from a doctor’s visit about inability to sleep? ................................................................................... 98 CHAPTER 5: SLEEPING TOO MUCH AND DAYTIME SLEEPINESS....................101 5.1 How can you tell how tired or sleepy a person is? ........................ 101 5.2 When is a tendency to fall asleep anywhere abnormal?............... 102 5.3 What can cause ongoing sleepiness?........................................... 103 5.4 Why are some people very groggy in the morning?...................... 105 5 Teenage sleep 5.5 Can puberty affect sleepiness?..................................................... 106 5.6 What is a microsleep?................................................................... 107 5.7 Are behaviours on remote control related to sleep? ..................... 108 5.8 Can a sleep problem relate to it being winter?............................... 108 5.9 What if increased sleepiness only happens every now and then?.................................................................................................... 109 5.10 What is narcolepsy?.................................................................... 110 5.11 How widespread is narcolepsy and what causes it?................... 114 5.12 How is narcolepsy diagnosed? ................................................... 115 5.13 How are the symptoms of narcolepsy controlled? ...................... 116 5.14 Can non-prescription ‘wake up’ substances help alertness? ...... 117 5.15 Is napping a good idea?.............................................................. 117 CHAPTER 6: UNUSUAL BEHAVIOURS DURING SLEEP ...................................119 6.1 What unusual behaviours can happen during teenage sleep? .................................................................................................. 119 6.2 Why do we sometimes get sleep jerks, or starts, when going to sleep? .............................................................................................. 119 6.3 What if these jerks also happen during sleep? ............................. 121 6.4 What is sleep drunkenness and why does it happen? .................. 122 6.5 Why do some young people wake up terrified during the night?................................................................................................... 123 6.6 What is the significance of nightmares?........................................ 124 6.7 Can we have hallucinations and still be normal? .......................... 127 6.8 Why do some people feel completely paralysed sometimes?....... 127 6.9 Is teeth grinding during sleep something to worry about?............. 128 6.10 Do some people get violent while being sleepy or asleep?......... 129 6.11 Why does sleep talking happen? ...............................................