Hey, sleepyhead, get some shuteye

If Eden Buxton doesn't get enough sleep, she suffers from headaches, daytime drowsiness and poor concentration in classes at Weber High School.

Bonneville High School student Hailey Hansen said she also suffers from exhaustion throughout the day if she doesn't get to bed early on a school night.

The high school seniors are not alone.

According to a large new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, only 8 percent of high school students get enough sleep on an average school night, which leads to depression, headaches, poor school performance and daytime drowsiness.

The authors found that 10 percent of adolescents sleep only five hours and 23 percent sleep only six hours on school nights. More females than males have sleep deficits, as do more African-Americans and Caucasians than Hispanics.

Nearly 20 percent more 12th graders have sleep deficits than do ninth graders.

"I believe this is an underestimate across the board," said Dr. R. Chris Hammond, a neurologist and director of the sleep and neurology center at the Ogden Clinic. "In several large epidemiological studies based on self-reported questionnaires, about one-fourth of adolescents experience symptoms of insomnia and nearly 50 percent of all adolescents have experienced insomnia at some point."

Hammond said a condition called delayed sleep-phase syndrome carries a prevalence of 6 percent to 8 percent among teens. DSPS is a circadian rhythm abnormality that can surface during adolescence.

"Circadian systems in this sense represent our own internal biological clock, directing sleep and wake, influenced by multiple factors such as chemistry, light, physical activity and others," Hammond said. "With this syndrome, the natural sleep drive, or tendency to go to sleep, of teenagers is delayed perhaps two to four or more hours than the normal."

Delaying school

Recent research is beginning to examine the implications of delayed sleep-phase syndrome and its effects on teens at school, including tardiness, poor concentration, mood changes, and poor school performance in general.

Many physicians in this field of research are advocates of starting classes later in the morning, Hammond said.

The study states that National Sleep Foundation research shows that delaying school start times by an hour or more increases the amount of sleep teenagers get and improves their performance in school.

Hammond agrees with the idea of later start times and believes he personally suffered from delayed sleep-phase syndrome.

"As a consequence, I found myself sleeping often in class. Once college started, I could select my class times, beginning later in the morning and I found I was much more alert, and surprisingly, my scholastic performance excelled," he said.

Snowballing effects

Other causes of sleep loss could include a busy work and school schedule, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, seizures at night, attention-deficit disorder and sleepwalking, Hammond said.

Problems that can come about as a result of sleep loss include an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia as kids become adults.

Kids who don't get enough sleep are also three times more likely to have gastrointestinal regurgitation -- when food or liquid comes back into the mouth -- and two times more likely to have headaches, Hammond said.

"Immune system dysfunction, which may lead to recurrent infectious diseases, is also reported with shorter sleep times," Hammond said. "One recent publication reported a higher incidence of suicidal thoughts among teens that sleep less than nine hours. Cognitive impairment is especially a concern for teens while driving. Depriving a person of sleep can cause as much impairment as drunk driving."

Dr. John Allred, pediatrician at the Ogden Clinic's Grand View location in Roy, said some sleep loss is also self-inflicted -- with inappropriate habits like watching TV, talking on the telephone and texting until the wee hours.

"The first health deficit will be experienced in the emotional and mental aspects. Initial grumpiness is something we've probably experienced ourselves when we've had a bad night's sleep," Allred said. "Those of us with teens have witnessed irritability and peevishness particularly when their sleep was compromised in one way or another. Increased agitation is experienced as the feeling of tardiness presses. A natural cycle starts."

Dashing out the door without a proper breakfast, or a weak substitute a like Diet Coke and a Twinkie in the car or smuggled into class, becomes a habit. Arriving late to class adds to stress. The cycle may worsen as either hunger from missed breakfast, or a junk food "high," contributes to jumpiness, Allred said.

"After the next few class periods, a rebound sleepiness sets in. Class participation and performance suffers. Later in the day, self-esteem and confidence can be worsened because of the unsuccessful first half of the day," Allred said. "When the school day is over, the slumping student may struggle with homework and the stress level persists. Parents remind the student of uncompleted chores, pressing homework due dates, upcoming tests and so on. Anger and frustration ensue."

Ways to cope

Isabel Cristina Lau, a pediatrician at MountainStar Ogden Pediatrics, said teenagers should be getting anywhere from eight to nine hours of sleep each night. She said it's important to have a sleep routine every day, especially during the school year.

She also said kids should avoid anything with a screen in the bedroom, such as a TV or computer.

"Do not get any job schedule for night hours, even if those pay well," she said. "Your health should always come first."

All of the physicians agree there are certain things teenagers can try to help themselves get enough sleep before seeking out a physician.

First of all, limit sleeping in on the weekends. That only makes it harder to wake up for school on Monday. Don't stay up cramming for an exam or doing homework. Don't study, read, watch TV or talk on the phone in bed. Only use your bed for sleep.

"Let me assure you, there is hope," Allred said. "With almost all teens, particularly if they are willing to try, mental and physical health providers are able to at least reduce the disturbances significantly, and often we can eliminate the sleep disorder entirely."

GO TO SLEEP!

These practices should help sleep patterns.

* Exercise vigorously each day, finishing 6-8 hours before bedtime

* Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day, even on weekends

* Limit caffeine intake

* Don't eat anything in the two hours before bedtime

* Limit naps to 20 minutes

* Get the TV and computers out of the bedroom

* Keep the bedroom cool, comfortable, dark and quiet

* Use comfortable mattresses and pillows

* Do something relaxing before bedtime, like taking a bath or reading

* If you can't sleep, write down your concerns and try again

* Don't study or cram late into the night

* Don't work at night

Sources: Dr. John Allred, Dr. R. Chris Hammond, Dr. Isabel Cristina Lau