When an adolescent finally reaches their teenage years, they still have a bit of physical, mental and emotional development to endure. That means mom and dad still have a responsibility to make sure their teens keep eating well, exercising and getting the proper amount of sleep.
As an adult, you should know that your teen needs more sleep then you do. It isn’t until your child finishes college that it will be okay they sleeping the way you sleep. To help you better understand why your teens still need to maintain good sleeping habits, the following information will focus on the challenges teens face that require they get as much good rest as possible. As a point of reference, teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 should be getting between 8 and 10 hours of quality sleep a night.
Physical Changes
Up until the age of 20, the human body is in a constant state of change. For teenagers, their bones are growing and their bodies are undergoing hormonal changes that create both physical and emotional issues. Going through these kinds of changes requires a lot of rest, mostly in the form of sleep. The lack of sleep for teenagers holds the potential of stunting a teenager’s physical growth or causing them emotional problems that could affect their development permanently.
Lack of Focus on Good Sleep Habits
Part of being a teenager is carrying oneself with an air of invincibility. Of course, teenagers are actually very vulnerable to the changes they are facing in their lives.
Because of this air of invincibility, teenagers don’t often care much about their health. That includes eating right and getting enough sleep at night. This false sense of security could become problematic. As a parent, you need to stand as a constant reminder to your teen that they are still subject to the rules of proper human development, and sleep is vital.
Active Lifestyles
Once a child hits their teenage years, their social worlds begin to change. They are no longer completely tied to mom’s apron as they seek individual freedom and access to more responsibilities. In pursuit of these two things, teenagers will get themselves involved in social activities and developing relationship. At the same time, they are beginning to understand the relevance of education to their futures.
During the day and often into the early evenings, teenagers are always on the go. Without mom and dad there to remind them they need sleep to recharge their batteries for the next day’s activities, they end up tired and overwhelmed, which eventually translates in to developmental issues.
Stress
There are experts that would argue teenagers collectively face just as much stress as their parents. While parents are concerned about paying the bills, teenagers are concerned about getting an education that will allow them to pay bills in the future. While mom and dad are worried about raising their kids, teenagers are developing their identities and creating the foundation for their future.
The reality is teenagers in this day and age are encountering stress in almost every aspect of their lives. The best protection they have from allowing this stress to adversely affect them will always be a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.