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How internal and external cues for bedtime affect sleep and adaptive functioning in adolescents
Michelle A Short1, Liisa Kuula2, Michael Gradisar1
1School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Sleep Medicine
|June 1, 2019
Summary
Adolescents’ bedtime reasons impact sleep quality. Setting bedtimes or listening to tiredness cues, rather than social media or TV, promotes better sleep and functioning.
Area of Science:
- Sleep science
- Adolescent health
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Adolescent sleep patterns are crucial for development and well-being.
- Understanding factors influencing bedtime is key to optimizing sleep duration and quality.
- Previous research highlights the impact of social and academic pressures on teen sleep.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the primary reason for bedtime and sleep patterns in adolescents.
- To examine the relationship between bedtime determinants and adaptive functioning in teenagers.
- To identify optimal bedtime strategies for improving adolescent sleep and daily performance.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1374 adolescents (mean age 16.8 years) from Helsinki, Finland.
- Utilized a questionnaire battery including chronotype, mood, and sleep habit assessments.
- Assessed reasons for bedtime, sleep duration, midpoint of sleep, and adaptive functioning.
Main Results:
- On school nights, parental regulation or going to bed when tired led to earlier bedtimes, more sleep, and earlier midpoint of sleep compared to socializing or TV-related bedtimes.
- Homework completion as a bedtime cue resulted in intermediate sleep outcomes.
- Weekend bedtimes set by parents also showed earlier bedtimes and midpoint of sleep.
- Adaptive functioning was better in adolescents who went to bed due to tiredness or homework completion on school nights.
Conclusions:
- Parental bedtime regulation and self-awareness of tiredness cues are effective strategies for optimizing adolescent sleep.
- Encouraging adolescents to use internal cues over external distractions (social media, TV) can improve sleep outcomes.
- Findings support distinct approaches to enhance adolescent sleep hygiene and overall functioning.
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