Lesson 1: Clinical Disorders – Part D

PART D

Sleep Hygiene

Video:  Sleep Hygiene

Poor sleep habits (referred to as poor sleep hygiene) are linked to many of the sleep problems encountered in North America. For example, many people regularly stay up too late and get up too early. Some people use drugs (caffeine, sleep aids) to force wakefulness or sleep while others over-stimulate themselves with late-night activities such as television.

A change in the teenage brain that occurs after puberty, causes sleep patterns to be modified.  Teens need around 9 hours of sleep, but studies have found that as many as two thirds of teens get less than seven hours of sleep as changes in their circadian rhythm push them toward later sleep times and most high schools start quite early.  A lack of sleep can make a teen prone to depression, being over weight, and hurt their grades along with their athletic performance.

The following information on sleep hygiene, used with permission of the author (University of Iowa and Virtual Hospital, www. vh.org), states that bringing sleep patterns under control and working at a consistent, stable pattern is very important to illness management. We need our rest.