According to sleep recommendations (in Norwegian), young people are advised to sleep between eight and ten hours each night. However, a new study shows that only one in four follow this advice.
"We see that sleep and quality of life are connected for young people. Those who get the recommended amount of sleep tend to be more satisfied with their lives," explains Erik Grasaas from the University of Agder.
To assess quality of life, participants were asked about various aspects of their current experiences, ranging from physical and mental health to family and social life.
"Even when we take into account factors such as stress, age, screen time and socio-economic status, we see that sleep duration is linked to life satisfaction, both for boys and girls," says Grasaas.
60 per cent blame screens
Grasaas utilised Ungdata, a comprehensive national survey, to examine the sleep habits of more than 32,000 upper secondary school students. He found that:
- 3 out of 4 get fewer than 8 hours of sleep a night, regardless of gender
- 3 out of 5 say that they feel tired at school at least once or twice a week
- 3 out of 5 also report that screen time affects their sleep
- 4 out of 10 boys say that gaming affects their sleep, while 1 out of 10 girls report the same
"About half of those who follow the sleep recommendations say they never feel tired during school or leisure activities. In contrast, only thirty per cent of those who don’t follow the recommendations say the same. That is a significant difference," Grasaas says.
Tips for quality sleep
- Cut back on energy drinks, coffee, coke and other caffeinated drinks, especially after 17:00.
- Get up at the same time every day, even on days off.
- Limit daytime naps and keep them to less than 20 minutes.
- Get some daylight in the morning.
- Use a blue light filter on your phone and computer at night.
- Exercise can help you sleep better but avoid working out just before bedtime.
- Avoid checking the time during the night. Stay away from social media, games, and any activities that might keep you up when you're trying to sleep.
- Use your bed for sleeping (and sex). If you can’t sleep, get up and do something else until you're tired again.
- Avoid alcohol before bedtime. While it might make you feel sleepy, it can impact your sleep quality.
- Take care of yourself. How you feel can affect your sleep. Seek help if you’re coping with stress, family issues or bullying.
Source: Ung.no
Weekend lie-ins don't help
Twenty years ago, it took around seventeen minutes for young people to fall asleep once they got into bed. Today, it takes over an hour.
There could be various reasons for this change. One of them could be that young people are consuming too many caffeinated drinks late in the day. However, the researcher believes the change is related to phone use.
It could be because youth are bringing their phones to bed, but it could also be because they're using screens right up until bedtime.
"You shouldn't expose your eyes to intense light just before bedtime. A mobile phone is also much closer to your eyes than a TV screen," he says.
Previous surveys have shown that young people tend to sleep more on weekends than weekdays. Unfortunately, this doesn't appear to have a positive effect, notes the researcher.
"Many believe that they can make up for lost sleep on weekends, but we see that the sleep they get during weekdays is important for how they feel. We also know that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is best," says Grasaas.
Challenging teenage years
Sleep affects all bodily processes, from memory and learning to nervous system development and physical health. Additionally, it significantly influences energy levels in daily life.
The researcher would like to see good sleep habits included in the school curriculum of the interdisciplinary subject, Public Health and Life Skills. This subject focuses on how to make informed health choices.
"Many factors in adolescence can make it difficult to get enough sleep. On the one hand, puberty brings major hormonal changes. On the other hand, there is less parental control, more caffeine intake and screen time, as well as pressure and stress both at school and during free time," says Grasaas.
He believes that parents should help support good sleep habits but gives young people the primary responsibility.
"We must dare to hold young people accountable too, they are young adults after all. But they need health-promoting and evidence-based knowledge. Politicians and decision-makers play a critical role in ensuring this becomes firmly integrated into school curricula," he says.
Knowledge can bring change
Screen time has been a recurring topic of public debate about children and teenagers. Grasaas notes that many commercial entities benefit from prolonged screen use, and he thinks it's unlikely that this trend will decrease on its own.
However, he believes that increased knowledge can lead to change.
"We know that many young people are interested in their health, and today's culture emphasises performance. This should motivate them to prioritise sleep," says Grasaas.