They actually need more ZZZ’s than adults — up to 11 hours, compared to adults’ seven to nine hours— to support their rapidly developing brains and bodies.
asserted
They → need → brains
That’s why losing sleep night after night is more than a bad habit.
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losing → ’ → habit
It has major consequences as teens grow into young adults.
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teens → have → adults
Disrupted sleep in teens “can induce higher stress levels, more anxiety and even contribute to a depressed mood,” Dr. Daniel Bigman, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician at Northwell Health, told The Post.
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Bigman → induce → Post
Plus, “it can cause daytime sleepiness, lower motivation and even difficulty with impulse control or decision-making,” he added.
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he → cause → control
“Every amount of sleep that’s lost is important because of these consequences.”
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that → lose → consequences
New research shows that a habit most teens are guilty of makes it harder for them to catch that quality slumber: Staying up on their phones.
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them → show → phones
Researchers from New York used a smartphone app and Fitbits to measure phone activity and sleep.
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Researchers → use → activity
They found that teens who spent more time on their phones late at night fell asleep later and got less sleep.
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who → find → sleep
For every 30 minutes on the phone after 10 p.m., teens fell asleep 26 minutes later, woke up 11 minutes later and got 12.9 minutes less sleep, compared to their usual sleep habits.
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teens → fall → habits
Separate research found that more than half of American teens are on their phones for an hour or more between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on school nights.
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half → find → nights
Whether they used their phones directly before sleep also mattered.
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used → use → sleep
Those who were on the phone in the five minutes before falling asleep had more disrupted sleep, especially during the first half hour.
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who → fall → hour
To be exact, they found that each additional minute on their phone (within five minutes of falling asleep) made them wake up for about a minute after they went to sleep.
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they → find → sleep
Teens were mostly on social media, including TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, when they were supposed to be winding down for bed.
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they → include → bed
They were on social media after 8 p.m. for an average of 44 minutes per night, while other app categories accounted for less than six minutes a night.
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categories → account → minutes
Social media was also used on more than half the nights measured.
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media → use → nights
Why it matters
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it → matter → ?
Bigman, who didn’t participate in the new study, notes that it’s not just social media that can mess with sleep — it’s “any kind of activity.”
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it → participate → activity
“Phones can be stimulating.
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Phones → stimulate → ?
And things like social media, videos, texting, notifications, lights, these are all signals to the brain that get transmitted through our senses, eyes and ears,” he said.
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he → transmit → senses
“It tells our brain to stay alert when it really should be winding down.
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it → tell → brain
The light, especially, signals the brain it’s time to be awake, messing with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, he said.
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he → signal → cycle
This research improves on previous studies that analyzed self-reported data on smartphone use, which can be inaccurate.
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which → improve → use
Researchers in this study used more objective measures through direct smartphone monitoring and Fitbits.
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Researchers → use → monitoring
Bigman says this more reliable data provides additional evidence backing our hunch that being on our phones into the night is no good.
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being → say → night
“Overall, we can say that from the study, we’re getting more specific advice or specific support towards reducing phone usage and reducing stimulation in the evening, especially before bedtime,” Bigman said.
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Bigman → say → bedtime
His advice is for teens and folks of all ages: Keep a good nighttime routine and sleep hygiene — and your body will thank you.
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body → keep → you
“The idea should be that we want to limit phone use before sleep time, and we want to instead replace bedtime routines with other types of winding-down activities that may not be as stimulating,” he said.
uncertain
he → want → activities
“Reading, music, relaxation exercises and stretching; other activities that we know promote a sleep environment.”
For your kids, encourage good habits rather than laying down the law.
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we → know → law
“My advice isn’t to try to punish teens for their day-to-day activities or their want to access their phones,” he said.
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he → try → phones
Third-party tested and with rave reviews, Cymbiotika Liposomal Sleep Complex uses natural ingredients, including magnesium and L-Theanine, to support relaxation and better sleep.
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Complex → test → relaxation
Sports Research Sleep Complex promotes restful and restorative sleep.
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Complex → promote → sleep
Made with a blend of magnesium, melatonin and herbs, it’s simple to take and delivers deep rest.
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it → make → rest
For those who aren’t fans of melatonin, we suggest Wondersleep Mushroom Gummies from Plant People.
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we → suggest → People
The delicious gummies are made from elderberry and reishi, Corydalis, and GABA to calm your mind and help you rest.
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you → make → mind
Body temperature and sleep are connected.
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temperature → connect → ?
For hot sleepers, we recommend these cooling sheets from Olive + Crate, which are buttery smooth and keep you chill all night long.
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which → recommend → you
The padded silk mask gently hugs the face and blocks out all light.
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mask → hug → light
Released after three years of advanced product testing, it offers a cocoon-like experience that users love.
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users → release → that
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
