Have you ever fallen asleep during class, and the more you want to stay awake, the more you want to sleep?
Luke was always sleepy in class, and he thought the reason was that math and science were not his favorite subjects, but the truth was that something more serious was going on.
Luke suffers from obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome, a sleep disorder that causes apnea and interrupts deep sleep.
Doctors advised him to remove his tonsils and other glands, and in the weeks after the outpatient surgery, Luke slept soundly every night, attended classes during the day, and studied very efficiently.
It probably never occurred to you that you needed more sleep until you came to a situation as exhausted as Luke did.
While most teens don't have sleep disorders, they may be sleep-deprived, staying up late online to watch their favorite late-night shows, or tossing and turning in bed for hours with their eyes wide open.
In addition, sleep can also be disrupted during some stressful periods, such as exams, interpersonal problems, etc., when the mind will be overwhelmed by too much burden to relax.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
First, adolescents need adequate sleep
Teens need an average of about 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night. If you go to bed at 10 p.m., you need to sleep until 7 a.m. to meet your sleep requirements.
But this may not always work, especially when teenagers need to study late at night and get up before dawn in the morning to catch the car.
Many adolescents have chronic insomnia, which means having trouble falling asleep or staying in bed for a long time and still feeling unwell.
If teens often lack sleep, it can affect every aspect of life, from relationships with friends, to inability to concentrate during class, to their own emotions.
Many adolescents who lack sleep are prone to symptoms of anger, emotional ups and downs, and even depression.
Sleep deprivation can also affect appearance, health and weight, and some studies have found that sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of obesity, as well as injuries and traffic accidents. Therefore, if there is a sleep disorder, it must be taken seriously.
Second, understand the process of sleep
Everyone needs a safe night's sleep to stay energized, mentally clear, and healthy. To better understand how sleep affects people, let's take a look at the process of sleep.
Sleep is divided into 5 distinct phases, each with different characteristics in terms of brain waves, eye movements, and muscle tone. Sleep can be roughly divided into two categories, one is REM sleep, this stage of dreams you can clearly remember, and the other is non-REM sleep.
Non-REM sleep is divided into 4 stages: stage 1 is the mildest sleep stage, the transition from wakefulness to deeper sleep; stage 2 is moderate sleep, accounting for 40%-50% of the total sleep time;
Stages 3 and 4 are the deepest degrees of sleep, the stage in which the body recovers itself, and it is difficult to wake people up during this stage, because most people are already asleep at this stage.
Sleep cycles are cycled every 90 to 120 minutes, and about 4 to 5 cycles throughout the night.
Our circadian cycle, the "biological clock" in the body, determines our daily sleep cycles, effects, wakefulness, mood, etc., and even affects our gastrointestinal and metabolic functions.
Melatonin is also closely associated with the circadian cycle, which, along with sunlight, helps set the brain's biological clock.
At night, the brain secretes melatonin, which causes body temperature to drop and helps us sleep.
Third, the cause of poor sleep quality
Going to bed 1 hour early solves sleep problems, clears your mind the next day, and improves work and study efficiency.
But sometimes there are other factors that can cause poor sleep quality, and here are some of the disease conditions that cause sleep problems.
1. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome
Snoring occurs when airflow is limited and soft tissues in the back of the throat vibrate, and annoying snoring causes poor sleep quality, but it can also be a symptom of a more serious sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.
Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome is associated with narrowing of the airways, where the lungs don't get enough fresh air during sleep, so the brain wakes you up, just enough for you to catch your breath and open your airways. If snoring is too loud or sleeps excessively, a doctor should be informed.
2. Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Some adolescents suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, which usually occurs at night after lying down to sleep, so sleep is interrupted.
Usually, a muscle valve between the esophagus and the gastric system will prevent gastric acid from flowing back into the esophagus, and if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease, this valve will not work properly, and the acid will flow back into the esophagus, causing irritation and inflammation, which in turn interferes with sleep circulation.
3. Restless leg syndrome
Restless leg syndrome refers to the feeling of peristalsis and crawling in the legs, resulting in an irrepressible urge to move the legs, which usually occurs between the ages of 11 and 20 years, which not only affects normal sleep, but also causes unconscious twitching of the legs during sleep.
How to get better sleep?
If you struggle to relax and follow a good bedtime, but still don't get enough safe sleep, consult a doctor.
If your doctor suspects you have a sleep disorder, you'll need to do a sleep test, a polysomnography, that can determine if you have apnea, restless legs syndrome, or other problems.
All of these sleep disorders require a doctor to develop a treatment plan for treatment.
If you don't have a physical problem, refer to the "Sleep Tips" below to guarantee a more secure sleep:
Establish standardized bedtimes and strictly follow them, and weekends are no exception.
When you're ready to go to bed, turn off your computer and phone so you don't sleep from text messages and ringtones.
In a recent study of nearly 10,000 teens, it was found that using electronic devices before going to bed reduced sleep time.
Eat less sugar because sugar can cause a sudden rise in blood sugar that causes you to wake up in sleep when your blood sugar drops in the middle of the night.
Regular exercise will help you sleep better, but you should avoid exercise before bedtime.
When you wake up in the morning, get to a place with a bright light as soon as possible, and avoid the light at night, because the light will signal the brain to "wake up".
Reduce noise in the bedroom and wear earplugs if there is noise while sleeping.
Eating foods with a sedative effect, MIT research found that carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, cereals, etc., can increase the level of serotonin in the brain, has a certain sedative effect, can make us sleep more soundly.
Take a hot shower before going to bed, after which it is the cooling phase of the body temperature, so after taking a hot bath, keep the bedroom cool and see if it will affect this stage.
During medication, sleep cycles may be affected. Using medications that treat attention deficit disorder or ADHD may cause insomnia.
Maintain a peaceful mindset, anxiety and apprehension can affect healthy sleep, and relaxation therapies, such as meditation, can be tried before bedtime.
Consult a physician if any of these conditions are present, stressed, or depressed and the above recommendations do not work. Good sleep is essential for health, and if sleep quality is poor, help should be sought.
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
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