Text Messaging and Sleep Deprivation in Teens

There is growing concern among parents and health professionals that text messaging
is contributing to sleep deprivation, with teenagers being the most at risk group of being
sleep deprived.

Mobile phone ownership amongst children has risen exponentially in the last decade,
with around 80% of 12-17 year olds now having their own phones, according to the Pew
Research Center, which carried out a recent US survey.

The increase in mobile phone access, as well as phone packages that offer unlimited
texting, has meant that our kids have embraced text messaging as one of their
favorite ways of communicating. Its fast, its private, its free and its fun!

But does all this messaging come at the price of our childrens health?

Sleep deprived teens

Most experts agree that teenagers are often

sleep deprived. During puberty, teenagers
sleeping patterns naturally shift, meaning that
they often stay up later and wake later if
given the choice. The brains circadian rhythm
system, which regulates sleep and is
controlled mainly by melatonin production,
engages later at night as the child progresses
through adolescence.

Teens who are finding it hard to go to sleep at

a reasonable hour are naturally turning to technology to study (sometimes) or keep
them entertained (more often than not) during the wee hours. Watching TV, gaming,
social media and texting are all common distractions from sleep. Yet these same
night owls are still required to get up early in the morning to attend school. This results
in a sleep debt that leaves many children underperforming, irritable and glum.

Why sleep matters

Getting enough sleep is essential to childrens health. Sleep is a time when the body
grows and the brain rests. Stress levels are reduced and immunity is restored. Lack of
sleep can cause severe problems that can become chronic over time problems
such as obesity, high blood pressure, ADHD and behavior problems have all been
linked to sleep deprivation.

A lack of sleep has also been found to negatively affect childrens learning. Sleep
deprived youngsters are more tired at school than their peers and show poorer
academic performance. Experts believe that Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is the
most important time for learning and memory consolidation. When children fall asleep
very late, but still have to get up early for school, REM sleep is curtailed and this can
affect memory and learning.

Is texting making things worse?

Whilst there are many factors contributing to sleep deprivation, late-night texting seems
to be making matters worse.

A 2014 study conducted by the Family Community Health Journal showed that a high
proportion of teenagers keep their phones in their bedrooms at night and most dont
switch them off after lights out. A third of teens surveyed said they text after going to
bed and 10% admitted that their phones had woken them up in the night.

Teenagers, ever afraid of being left out, are keeping their phones on to stay connected.
They dont want to miss out or be left out. Teens who are dating are even more prolific
late-night texters. Fear of missing something is driving youngsters to keep their
phones close no matter what time of day or night. This silent form of
communication is easier to hide from parents than a voice call would be and many
parents are unaware of late-night texting until they start monitoring their kids phones.

The so-called
blue light
emitted from
devices is
intensified in
the dark and
therefore
delays the
release of
melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep. Scientists agree that Rapid Eye Movement
(REM) sleep is the most crucial part of our sleep pattern, affecting learning, memory
and social adjustment in adolescents. If teenagers arent falling asleep when the lights
go out, their REM sleep is cut short.

The growing problem of late-night texting has even led to the rise in incidents of sleep
texting, where messages are sent without the sender being (fully) aware that they have
done so. This phenomenon, likened by professionals to sleepwalking, can lead to
embarrassment the following day!

Whilst all electronic devices are detrimental to childrens sleep if kept on after lights out,
mobile phones are especially undesirable, as they are rarely switched off. Even when
the TV, game or computer has been put on standby, the cell phone is always on
sometimes acting as an alarm clock, but more often acting as a distraction from sleep.

Help your child get more sleep

There are many things you can do to help your child get more sleep. Here are a few
suggestions:

o Monitor your childs phone and text messages. Monitoring is a good way to find
out when your child is sending and receiving text messages.
o Set an electronics curfew. Agree a time with your child when all electronic
devices will be switched off.
o Dont allow your child to keep their phones in their bedrooms at night. You
could set up a charging area away from the bedroom where all devices
are placed for overnight charging.
o Speak to other parents about when the kids are texting each other and see if
you can mutually agree a cut-off time.
o Write a phone usage agreement with your child so that everyone is clear on the
rules of owning or using a phone. Add a clause about when the child should not
be texting.
o Remind kids that their incoming text messages will still be there in the morning,
so they dont need to worry about being left out.
o Keep the lines of communication open explain to your child why sleep is
important.

Even if kids complain at first about not having access to their phones 24/7, after a few
nights of uninterrupted sleep they will likely start to feel more alert, more energized and
more equipped to face the day ahead.

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Read the full guide How to Monitor & Spy On Text Messages of Your Child Like a CIA
Agent.