The answer to your question is a resounding YES! This is a problem frequently
brought to the attention of pediatricians. There are many conditions that can cause daytime tiredness including specific sleep disorders, depression, medications or drug abuse, iron-deficiency anemia, thyroid and other hormonal disorders, and infections like infectious mononucleosis or Lyme disease. A visit to the pediatrician usually can rule these things out.
Why do teenagers require more sleep? It’s not unusual for teenagers to take a nap after school, or sleep until ll:00 or l2:00 noon on Saturdays (if their parents let them). All this is usually very normal. We don’t know precisely why, but we suspect it has to do with subtle hormonal changes and changes in the brain during puberty, as well as the stress of physical growth. The physiology of sleep alters during adolescence, which results in a less efficient night’s sleep. This leads to a need and desire for more sleep, often during the daytime hours. Contrary to what many believe, adolescents actually need as much and even more sleep than the pre-adolescent child. Biologic changes may be responsible for resetting the teenager’s biologic clock (sleep-wake cycle) toward needing to sleep later. Ironically, social, academic and extracurricular activities often require just the opposite - that the adolescent retire later and arise earlier.
Besides having a checkup by your pediatrician, it’s be important to make sure you’re not staying up late watching TV, talking on the telephone, reading your favorite magazine or even studying. Teenagers often need help in establishing reasonable schedules that allow time for enough sleep. Most teenagers probably require a minimum of 8 or 9 hours of sleep a night.
We recommend you keep a sleep log or diary before you see your pediatrician. You should record the times you fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning. If you awaken during the night, record the time you are awake. You should also describe any difficulty you have falling asleep or getting up in the morning. It would also be helpful to describe any periods of marked sleepiness while in school, and whether you actually fall asleep in school. Ask your parents to observe you for excessive snoring or difficulty breathing while sleeping at night. Adolescents who are markedly obese may have trouble sleeping well at night and therefore experience daytime sleepiness. The sleep records will be very helpful to your doctor when you’re seen.
You're not alone. Take a look at a few of the questions related to this topic that other teens have asked us.
Is the anemia causing my lack of energy? What can I do so I don’t get so tired?
I have been very tired lately. I don’t care about a lot of things. What's wrong with me?
If a teen doesn’t get enough sleep, can it affect memory and how?
For more information, check out these articles:
Characteristics of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The Facts about Mono
The Tired Teenager
Posted 10-17-05
