Tired teens: Deprivation of sleep takes a toll

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

Illustration by Frank Pompa • Gannett News Service Pointers for parents Enforce regular sleep schedules for children and maintain appropriate schedules as they grow older. To help induce sleepiness in adolescents, establish a quiet time in the evening when the lights are dimmed. Talk with your children about their individual sleep/wake schedules and level of sleepiness. Assess the time spent in extracurricular activities and jobs with regard to their sleep patterns and needs. Be a good role model and make sleep a priority for yourself and your family. If you or your children are often sleepy, get more sleep at night, take naps or sleep longer when possible. Consult a sleep expert if you need more help. Actively seek positive changes in your community by increasing public awareness about sleep and the harmful effects of sleep deprivation, and by supporting sleep-smart policies. — National Sleep Foundation, sleepfoundation.org

The 17-year-old senior at Roosevelt High School has learned to survive on an average of four hours of sleep each night, the result of a day crammed with advanced placement classes, extracurricular activities, chores and the inevitable burden of homework.

Chow, who has a cumulative grade point average of 4.1, normally devotes six to seven hours each night to completing assignments and studying for tests. So by the time her weary body turns in for the night, it's usually 1 a.m.

"Sometimes I don't go to sleep at all, but that hasn't happened too often this year," Chow said. "Maybe just once or twice."

Sleep deprivation among teens is a common problem, said Dr. David Paperny, an adolescent specialist at Kaiser Permanente. While experts say teenagers should be getting eight to 10 hours of sleep each night, a National Sleep Foundation study found that only 15 percent of adolescents reported sleeping at least 8 1/2 hours on school nights.

The foundation also reports that insufficient sleep in teens is a problem that leads to increased risk of unintentional injuries and death, specifically because of traffic accidents; negative moods, such as anger, sadness and fear; and an increased likelihood of stimulant use, including caffeine and nicotine.

"The most important consequence is not being able to focus and learn well in class," Paperny said. "It also enhances or amplifies learning disabilities."

'Busy as bees'

The main reason why teens aren't getting enough sleep is simple, Paperny said: "They have a schedule that's busy as bees."

Like Chow, Jill Kanemaru, 16, has a full load every day.

"Especially right now, because I'm starting to do applications" for college, said the Iolani senior.

In addition to her three advanced-placement classes, the self-proclaimed "overachiever" also keeps busy as class treasurer and member of the Okinawan and karaoke clubs. Kanemaru spends at least six hours doing homework every night and goes to bed by midnight. But living in Wahiawa means having to wake up at 5 a.m. — probably an hour earlier than most of her classmates — to get to school on time.

She admits the schedule she has taken on was her choice and that she could lighten the load if she wanted to.

"But Iolani offers me all of this and I want to take advantage of it," Kanemaru said.

Having a hectic schedule isn't always school-related, said Dr. James Pearce, director of the Sleep Disorders Center of the Pacific and chief of neurology at Straub Clinic & Hospital.

"It's the constraints of social pressures, family pressures and school pressures," Pearce said. "It all adds up.

Like other typical teens, Kanemaru understands the importance of socializing and also tries to squeeze in time after school with her family and friends.

"If you really set yourself down to do all your work, you could probably be in bed earlier," Kanemaru said. "But some days, you have to sometimes just talk story with your friends."

Constant sleepless nights have been catching up with her, though.

"I have noticed that over the past couple of years, I've been getting sick, which I know is because of lack of sleep," said Kanemaru, who was just getting over a cold. "I think one or two more hours of sleep would help."

Parents can help

Parents need to empathize with their sleep-deprived teens, Paperny said. "He or she is probably as frustrated as you are."

Paperny suggests parents discuss with their teens how to better manage their mornings.

"One idea is to do as much as possible the night before — pack up schoolwork, shower, lay out clothes, prepare lunch, lay out breakfast supplies — to ensure that he or she can spend as much time as possible in bed," Paperny said.

There are other things teens can do to help themselves. The National Sleep Foundation offers these sleep-smart tips:

Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule, and maintain it during weekends and vacations. Don't stray from your schedule frequently and never do so for two or more consecutive nights. If you must go off schedule, avoid delaying your bedtime by more than one hour, awaken the next day within two hours of your regular schedule and, if you are sleepy during the day, take an early afternoon nap.

Get into bright light as soon as possible in the morning, but avoid it in the evening. The light helps to signal to the brain when it should wake up and when it should prepare to sleep.

Relax before going to bed. Avoid heavy reading, studying and computer games within an hour of going to bed.

After lunch, stay away from coffee, colas with caffeine, and nicotine, all of which are stimulants. Also avoid alcohol, which disrupts sleep.

While experts say excessive intake of stimulants such as caffeine should be avoided, many teens can't live without that soda or coffee kick for an entire day. Chow, for example, said she can't function if she doesn't drink a four-cup pot of black coffee in the morning and after school, and sometimes late at night.

"While it can keep you alert, it can also keep you awake at night and prevent normal sleep from occurring," Pearce said.

Chow's mother, Laurie, said that at first she was concerned with how much coffee her daughter was drinking and how little sleep she was getting. But Laurie Chow said there's little she can do or say to change the habits of her daughter, whom she describes as extremely independent and focused: "It is her choice, and, I guess, she'll do whatever it takes to get where she wants to go."

Reach Zenaida Serrano Espanol at zespanol@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.