If you have a teen, you may wonder why they always seem to be sleeping. Or tired. They might have a hard time getting up in the morning, and you’ve heard reports that they’re falling asleep in class. Or they may come straight home from school and take a nap.
True, school keeps them busy. And true, they may be involved in many extracurricular activities, which can keep them later after school. Plus, there’s all that homework to do at night; not to mention downtime and friends (late-night parties, anyone?). But there’s still that niggling voice in the back of your head, wondering if all this sleeping is really because they’re so overwhelmed by the day’s routine… or if there’s something else going on here.
Sleep Patterns and Teens
First, let’s look at the facts. Research has shown that adolescence brings with it a shift in biological sleep patterns. Thanks to changing circadian rhythms at this stage, teens naturally get tired later on at night. It’s also harder for their bodies to wake up in the mornings. Combine that with an early high school start time, and you can see why teens wake up so tired.
There are practical solutions that can help alleviate this problem, of course. Many mental health professionals encourage teens to go to sleep as early as they possibly can at night. Even if they’re not tired when they get ready to lay down, it’s better than falling into bed when they’re so exhausted they can barely keep their eyes open. Parents should also keep electronics out of the bedroom and institute a curfew for smartphones, as the bright light hampers teens’ sleep. Others advocate for teens to have busier schedules like finding new hobbies or even getting a job. All too often, bored and unsupervised teens get distracted, stay up late, or end up finding destructive activities to fill their time.
The motive of these California senators? All the research linking exhaustion with mental health and behavioral issues. Apparently, lack of sleep can cause cognitive defects, angry outbursts, negative mood, decreased attention, mental health issues, learning issues, and a host of other problems. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), adolescents who don’t get enough sleep are also more likely to engage in self-injurious or suicidal behavior.
What does not enough sleep actually mean? According to AASM, teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night. However, 75% of high school students sleep less than 8 hours a night, according to the CDC.
Mental Health Issues, Sleep Issues: Which Came First?
However, some wonder which came first: mental health issues or lack of sleep. Is exhaustion leading to mental health issues, or are their mental health issues causing fatigue?
Because the research goes the other way around, too. If a teen is struggling with depression, they are likely to be tired a lot. They may display fatigue all throughout the day. Teens with depression often have negative mood, angry outbursts, and passive affect. Their grades could be on the decline, and they could be losing interest in many of the activities that once brought them joy or satisfaction.
Same goes with anxiety. A teen with anxiety could be so nervous about certain things – school, natural disasters, friends – that he or she could have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. It’s much easier to sleep the entire day than face their fears. However, on the surface, a parent could mistake this debilitating anxiety for exhaustion.
So how do you know whether your teen is just tired – plain and simple exhausted – or if they’re actually struggling with a deeper mental health or emotional issue that’s associated with fatigue?
My Teen is so Exhausted
Why do Teens Sleep so Much?
There are several signs that indicate your teen may be struggling with fatigue that warrants medical attention.
Here are a few, from Dr. Craig Canapari, at the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center:
- It is very hard to wake your teen up in the morning; to the point that he often misses morning class.
- Their grades are declining.
- Teachers have complained about your teen falling asleep in class.
- Your teen commonly naps after school, and the naps are unusually long.
- During the weekend, they sleep excessively, and often wake up after noon or later.
- Your teen has had a car accident or near-miss car accident due to drowsiness.
In general, if your teen’s lack of energy stops them from participating fully throughout the day (being present and active at school, going about their daily activities), the fatigue is a serious problem. Your adolescent may be suffering from depression, anxiety, or another serious mental health problem. It may be time for teen mental health or dual diagnosis treatment.
Fatigue Could Also Be a Physical Health Issue
Note that extreme fatigue could also be the result of a physical health issue, such as anemia, an underactive thyroid, Lyme disease, or even mononucleosis (aka mono). Teens with weight issues or an eating disorder could also be feeling exhausted. To rule out any somatic issues, visit the pediatrician who may recommend basics to get started such as diet changes away from fatigue-inducing foods like seed oils, vitamin b12 supplements, or even recommendations on weighted blankets or sleep sounds for your teen to try out. (Keep in mind that some mental health issues are psychosomatic; meaning, they have effects on both the body and the mind. Anxiety, depression, trauma, high stress, and other emotional issues can cause fatigue and other physical and mental health symptoms.)
If your doctor cannot find a physical source for your teen’s fatigue, you may want to visit a mental health professional to see whether he or she can determine a diagnosis. If in fact your teen has depression, anxiety, psychosis, addiction, suicidal tendencies, self-harming behavior, or other mental health concerns, he or she may need treatment at an adolescent residential treatment center (RTC), partial hospitalization program (PHP), or intensive outpatient program (IOP). At a teen RTC, PHP or IOP, your adolescent will get help not only for their symptoms, but for the root of the emotional issues they’re struggling with.
Do Teen Boys or Girls Sleep More?
Traditional wisdom has long stated that teenage boys need more sleep than girls. However, recent studies have flipped that assumption on its head. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has reported that teenage girls are more significantly impacted by insufficient sleep, with a resulting impact on academics, social life, and general sleepiness during the day.
However, whether teen boys or girls need more sleep isn’t the central question — everyone needs adequate amounts of sleep, and without it, all areas of life and health suffer as a result.
Is It Normal for a Teenager to Sleep 12 Hours?
It’s not normal for a teenager to regularly sleep 12 hours at a time. However, context is important. If your teen is running short on sleep during the school week, sleeping in on the weekend is to be expected. It’s not unheard of for a teenager to occasionally sleep 12 hours — teens need 8-10 hours a night.
However, if your teen is sleeping through their weekend or crashing as soon as they get home from school, it’s cause for concern. Excessive sleepiness in teenagers is often a sign of teen fatigue syndrome. As a parent, you know best what’s normal for your teenager. If you’re concerned about how much your teen is sleeping, it’s worth consulting with a healthcare professional.
Does Puberty Contribute to Fatigue?
As most parents are aware, puberty can be a challenging time. In addition to the hormonal and emotional changes a teen is going through, the significant physical changes of puberty are known to result in fatigue. However, excessive tiredness caused by puberty can be a sign that something’s wrong. Parents should be aware that mental health conditions like teen depression and teen personality disorders also often come on during puberty. Don’t assume your teen is overly tired just because of the changes they’re going through — ongoing fatigue can signal that something more serious is happening.
What Is Teenage Fatigue Syndrome?
If you find yourself asking, “Why is my teenager so tired?” your teen might be struggling with teenage fatigue syndrome. Teen fatigue syndrome is a condition that involves ongoing or excessive fatigue without any understandable cause. Common signs of teen fatigue syndrome include:
- Unexplained fatigue
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty with memory or concentration
It’s important to work with both medical doctors and mental health professionals to gain an accurate understanding of why your teen is tired. A diagnosis of teen fatigue syndrome should only happen after areas like physical illnesses, diet, sleep hygiene, and mental health have been considered.
Why Is My Teen Always Tired and Lacks Motivation?
Tiredness and a lack of motivation often go hand-in-hand, and each can lead to the other. Teenage unhappiness can take many forms — and can have a wide variety of underlying causes. If your teen is always tired, it’s for one of two reasons — physical health or mental/emotional health.
You can start by making sure your teen gets enough sleep each night, doesn’t use their phone at night, gets enough physical activity, and follows a healthy diet. Once those basic causes are eliminated, you should consult a medical doctor to identify any physical causes and a therapist to see if your teen is struggling with any mental or emotional health concerns.
Smartphones Contribute to Sleep Deprivation
Smartphones are one element of life that older generations didn’t have to worry about. It’s well-documented that teenage smartphone use often extends well into the night. Teens often stay up late scrolling through social media or watching online videos and may even have their sleep disturbed by the sound of notifications — which they then wake up to check.
In addition to interrupting a healthy sleep cycle, the blue light emitted by smartphones disturbs the brain’s ability to fall back into a deep sleep. If you search online for terms like “teenager always tired,” a good first step might be to ensure your teen’s phone is off when they go to bed.
Final Thoughts
Listening to teens is easy enough when they communicate, but they aren’t always forthcoming about their struggles. Sometimes, parents need to watch a teen’s behavior for clues about what’s really going on. Sleeping all day isn’t normal, and it may be a sign of teenage fatigue syndrome. If you’re concerned about your teen sleeping habits or health, reaching out to your doctor or a mental health professional is a good first step for helping understand what’s going on and developing a plan for helping your teen overcome fatigue.
