For teenagers like Corbyn Wheeler, life is a flurry of activities. The 13-year-old is seemingly in perpetual motion with days filled with basketball, music lessons and a host of other activities - all in addition to the time she spends in school.

It’s a schedule that would exhaust most adults. Yet, Corbyn often finds sleep an elusive commodity.

“I’m ready for bed by 9:30 at night,” she said. “But I’m asleep by 10:30, almost 11:00 because it takes me a long time to get to sleep.”

Sleep experts with The Children’s Hospital at OU MEDICAL CENTER say Corbyn is not alone. That’s because the sleep cycle changes with the onset of puberty.

“There is a significant change in the circadian rhythm in adolescence,” explained Dr. Kris Sekar, of OU Children’s Physicians. Sekar, an Edmond resident, is medical director of the Pediatric Sleep Lab at Children’s Hospital.

“In adolescence, the melatonin secretion occurs later,” he said. “Therefore, the sleep cycle completely changes. It’s very physiologic.”

As a result of that change, teen’s bodies tell them to stay up later and sleep in later. It’s a sleep cycle that puts them ‘out of sync’ with school-time schedule, which requires them to be up early when their bodies tell them they should still be sleeping.

The start of the new school year is especially difficult on teens, who generally have grown accustomed to sleeping in later over the summer months. Many may have a great deal of difficulty shifting back to the early waking times required to get to school on time. As a result, they fall further and further behind on their sleep.

“Teenagers need about nine and a quarter hours of sleep each night,” Sekar said. “However, most teens get only about six hours of sleep a night. That means you are having a significant sleep deficit every day.”

The concern is that the growing sleep debt among teens often has a negative impact on their health, performance and their safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers under the age of 25 are involved in more than half of fall-asleep crashes.

Sekar pointed out tired teens are also likely to be more irritable, to have difficulty concentrating in school and may see their performance suffer both in academics and athletics. Trying to catch up on sleep on the weekends seldom works either.

“The teenagers try to make it up by sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday, but then they have adjustment problems immediately when they have to go back to the cycle again on Monday mornings,” he said.

Sekar added it is possible to re-set even a teenager’s internal clock, but it has to be done gradually and takes a few weeks to make the needed adjustments.

Typically, you want to advance the sleep time by 15 minutes and advance the wake up time by 15 minutes,” he explained. “After two or three days, you would advance the sleep and wake times again 15 minutes. The idea is to make gradual adjustments in the sleep cycle so that hopefully in about two to three weeks the cycle is re-aligned with the school schedule.”

Sekar said there are a few other tricks that can help while making the adjustment. For instance, light plays an important role in setting a person’s biological clock. So it’s important to turn on the lights as soon as teens get up in the morning and make sure the room is dark when they retire at night.

According to Sekar, consistency is also critical. “You have to stick to the new schedule, even on weekends.”

He admitted that can be especially difficult with the teen set, who like to be out with friends on Friday and Saturday nights.

The growing sleep debt in teens has been the subject of much national debate. Some districts have adjusted their schedules and seen changes.

“In school districts where they have changed the school time and consistently started school about an hour later, it improved academic performance and it also improved performance in sports,” Sekar said.

Whatever your school’s schedule, Sekar stressed helping ensure your teen gets enough sleep is crucial because a well-rested teen is less likely to fall asleep or lose concentration especially at critical times like while taking a test or driving.

Warning Signs of a Sleepy Teen
How do parents know if they have a sleepy teen on their hands? Sleep experts at The Children’s Hospital at OU MEDICAL CENTER say here are some warning signs:

-Difficulty staying alert during school, long drives or while reading a book
-Irritability
-Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
-Loss of short-term memory
-Becoming overly aggressive

Parents who have concerns about their teen’s sleep should start by discussing them with their family doctor or pediatrician. If a sleep-related disorder is suspected, he or she may suggest a referral to the pediatric sleep lab at Children’s Hospital for further evaluation.