If you are the parent or guardian of a teenager who would rather press snooze on his or her alarm clock every morning than jump out of bed and start the day, it may be time to adjust your teen’s bedtime routine. 

The National Sleep Foundation recently changed its guidelines for sleep, and now advises teens to sleep between eight and 10 hours each night. Inadequate sleep contribute to more incidences of illness, obesity, heart trouble, a decline in study habits and performance, a decrease in comprehension, possible drug and alcohol abuse, low self-esteem, depression and other mental health disorders. Scientists suspect that too much screen time is to blame for our teens’ dwindling sleep health, according to a 2012-2013 study of more than 2,000 fourth and seventh graders.

Children with televisions, tablets and other electronic devices were more likely to report inadequate sleep and falling asleep much later. While we shut off lights and lamps before we go to bed, television sets, tablets and smartphones usually remain on. These devices emit blue light, which can disrupt normal sleeping patterns. 

The blue light from electronic devices is especially good at preventing the release of melatonin, the hormone responsible for controlling your sleep and wake cycles. The pineal gland usually releases the hormone melatonin a few hours before your regular bedtime, reducing alertness and inducing sleepiness. But if enough blue light hits the eye, the pineal gland can stop producing melatonin, causing you to be more alert and awake. 

Teens are more vulnerable to blue light than adults. For example, circadian rhythm shifts throughout adolescence, causing teens to feel more alert later at night, so turning on a television, tablet or smartphone can push off the sleepiness even later. Using electronic devices also stimulates the mind and may trigger hormonal responses, which can reduce the ability to fall asleep.

Some actions you can take to adjust your teen’s evening routine are:

• Set a ‘bed time’ for media devices. This should happen one or two hours before kids go to sleep, and applies to adults too so everyone gets into good habits.
• Tweak their bedtime routine. Let teens wind down properly before bed, replacing screen time with calmer activities.
• Don’t allow media devices in the bedroom. Alerts and notifications during the night may wake up a sleeping teen, interrupting their sleep cycles. 
• Replace screen time with exercise during the day. Outdoor exercise in bright light is wonderful for sleep. It also helps teens balance their “virtual” and real lives.
• Limit food and drinks during screen time, especially at night. Electronic devices tend to encourage mindless overeating and drinking (especially of caffeine), which can stimulate the body and imbalance hormones.

If problems with your teen’s sleep persist, contact your pediatrician. If you need to find a doctor near you, call Tanner at 770-214-CARE (2273) or visit the Find a Provider page on tanner.org. 

Tanner Healthcare for Children, part of Tanner Medical Group, has offices in Bremen, Carrollton and Villa Rica. For more information, visit TannerHealthcareforChildrenorg or call 770-812-8640.