Circadian Rhtyhms

• Everyone is ruled by circadian rhythms, which are the chemical and biological processes that take place in the body on a daily basis. These rhythms control body temperature, appetite, heart rate, energy level, and the all-important sleep-wake cycle. A teenager's circadian rhythms are very different from an adult's, which means his body is essentially on a different hormonal schedule than your own. This is what accounts for the irregularities of a teenager's sleep schedule.
  
  

When Teens Want to Sleep

• Most teens won't feel tired until midnight or later, due to the chemical timing of their circadian rhythms. The world, however, expects teenagers to live on the same schedule as adults. In an ideal world, most teenagers would sleep about 10 hours a night, from around midnight to midmorning. This shift in the timing of the sleep, called a "phase delay," and the additional hours of sleep, are an inherent part of a teen's body chemistry. In this world, teenagers are held to early-morning school schedules better suited for their younger siblings, who naturally wake up early. Instead, teenagers drag themselves from bed and into school with a lack of energy.
  
  

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

• Because of the conflict between schedules are biologic, a large portion of teenagers are sleep-deprived, yawning through the first few hours of their days. Insufficient sleep can degrade overall health, exacerbating the emotional and physical challenges associated with puberty and teenage years. Sleep deprivation can also cause poor grades, sleeping during class or at other inappropriate times, as well as increase stress, moodiness, irritability, cause immune system weakness and even car accidents, based on a lethal combination of inexperience and poor sleep. Additionally, the brain consolidates information learned during the day while sleeping, meaning that learning well requires sleeping well.
  
  

Solutions to Sleep Deprivation

• Realistically, most teens cannot move their school schedules to a later time, though shifting high school schedules back by as little as an hour has been shown to cause anecdotal improvement in student's alertness, mood and class participation. Instead, they can employ some coping mechanisms and practice good "sleep discipline." This means keeping a consistent sleep schedule, not "binge sleeping" on weekends, limiting caffeine and exercising regularly. Teens should also avoid schedules with wall-to-wall activities and give themselves time to rest, taking a short nap (less than a half-hour) during the afternoon if necessary.