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I'm Just Tired
How Sleep Affects Your Preteen By Teri Brown
The best way to judge if your preteen has any of these problems is to observe their waking and sleep patterns. If you suspect their sleepiness is caused by something other than poor sleep habits, it may be time to contact your physician.
Dr. Schoumacher believes a healthy preteen who is getting enough sleep and is not going through early adolescence is not tired. "In research on patients of this age, they have been described as the most alert humans on the planet," he says. "There may have been some gradual erosion of bedtime standards. It seems clear to me that many children in our society are not getting as much sleep as they need and are not getting as much sleep as their parents did at the same age."
Dr. Schoumacher suggests that while there are a number of societal factors, there are also some physiologic factors that come into play. For example, TV, computer use and video games are increasingly popular, but they are a very poor form of activity in the hour or so before bedtime.
"They provide too much light directly into the child's eyes, which can interfere with the body's natural circadian rhythm," says Dr. Schoumacher. "They are also too stimulating to permit the child to wind down and get ready for sleep. Strenuous physical activity such as roughhousing or pillow fights also interferes with the body's preparations for sleep. Reading, bath time, some kinds of music and family time are much more appropriate in the crucial 30 to 60 minutes before bed."